:i^^ 


OGIOALSt 


^\^> 


li 


BS  2850  .A3  D65  1903 
Donehoo,  James  De  Quincey. 
The  apocryphal  and  legendary 
life  of  Christ 


THE  APOCRYPHAL  AND  LEGENDARY 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


v->-- 


^rl^^^ 


THE  APOCRYPHAL 
AND  LEGENDARY 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


BEING   THE   WHOLE   BODY  OF  THE  APOCRYPHAL  GOSPELS  AND  OTHER   EXTRA 

CANONICAL  LITERATURE  WHICH  PRETENDS  TO  TELL  OF  THE  LIFE  AND 

WORDS  OF  JESUS  CHRIST,  INCLUDING  MUCH  MATTER  WHICH  HAS 

NOT    BEFORE    APPEARED    IN    ENGLISH.       IN    CONTINUOUS 

NARRATIVE  FORM,  WITH  NOTES,  SCRIPTURAL 

REFERENCES,   PROLEGOMENA,    AND   INDICES 


James  deQuincey  Donehoo,  M.  A. 

RECTOR  OF  GRACE  CHURCH,  MONROE,  LA. 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:    MACMILLAN    &    CO..    Ltd. 
1903 


175 


Copyright  1903 
THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 


Set  up,  electrotyped  and  published 
September  1903 


THE    MASON     PRESS 
SYRACUSE    •    NEW  YORK 


PREFACE 

The  object  of  this  work  is  to  make  accessible  to  the  reader 
of  English,  in  a  form  easily  grasped,  the  whole  body  of  that 
comparatively  ancient  extra-canonical  literature  which  pre- 
tends to  tell  at  first  hand  something  of  the  Life  and  Words 
of  Jesus  Christ.  That  literature,  it  must  be  admitted,  dis- 
closes to  the  investigator  but  few  golden  grains  amidst  an 
intolerable  deal  of  chaff.  Yet  weighted  down,  as  it  is,  with 
the  dreary  verbosity  of  Gnostic  madness,  and  the  preposter- 
ous, if  lighter  inventions  of  mediaeval  legend-mongers,  it 
certainly  bears  across  nearly  nineteen  centuries  a  few  words 
from  the  divine  Author  of  Christianity,  and  a  few  particu- 
lars as  to  His  history  upon  which  the  four  Gospels  are  silent. 

It  is  not  possible  to  resolve  this  extra-canonical  literature 
into  its  constituent  elements.  No  final  book  can  be  written 
upon  the  Agrapha,  the  Heretical  Gospels,  the  Apocryphal 
Gospels,  or  Legends  about  Christ,  and  seriously  pretend  com- 
pletely to  separate  any  one  of  these  elements  from  the  rest ; 
they  are  inextricably  intertwined.  The  Agrapha,  for  in- 
stance, almost  certainly  contain  some  reliable  tradition ;  yet, 
in  the  form  in  which  we  now  have  them,  they  are  as  certainly 
largely  heretical  and  apocryphal.  The  Heretical  Gospels, 
again,  of  which  fragments  are  extant,  were  mainly  but  cor- 
rupted copies  of  canonical  ones ;  yet  it  is  certainly  demon- 
strated that  most  Apocryphal  Gospels  had  their  origin  in 
heresy.  The  best  established  legends,  moreover,  rest  mainly 
upon  apocryphal  sources. 

The  plan  here  followed  has,  in  consequence,  been  to  com- 
bine all  these  elements,  allowing  them  to  tell  their  own  stories 
in  the  unaltered  words  of  their  authors,  and  explaining,  as 
far  as  possible,  by  the  use  of  foot  notes,  the  resulting  narra- 

(  V  ) 


vi  PREFACE 

tive.  The  accomplishment  of  this  is  the  sole  claim  to  use- 
fulness and  comparative  originality,  which  the  present  work 
makes.  Editions  of  the  better-known  Apocryphal  Gospels 
are  plentiful  enough,  and  books  upon  the  Agrapha,  the  Hos- 
tile Gospels,  and  the  Legends  of  the  New  Testament  are  mul- 
titudinous. But  there  is  no  work  in  English  that  logically 
and  thoroughly  pursues  this  plan,  which  seems  to  the  writer 
the  only  satisfactory  method  of  gaining  a  comprehensive 
view  of  this  extra-canonical  literature.  And  even  were  Hof- 
mann's  admirable  work,  "Das  Leben  Jesu  nach  den  Apo- 
kryphen"  (see  Introduction,  II,  5),  accessible  to  the  average 
reader,  discoveries  in  all  departments  of  this  literature  have 
been  so  rich  during  the  half  century  since  its  appearance, 
that  the  present  book  is  able  to  present  nearly  fifty  per  cent, 
more  matter  in  its  text,  much  of  which  has  never  before  ap- 
peared in  English.  This  work's  favourable  reception  will  re- 
sult in  the  preparation  of  "The  Apocryphal  and  Legendary 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  as  its  sequel. 

The  writer  makes  no  pretence  of  having  done  much  orig- 
inal work  in -the  critical  editing  of  texts,  or  otherwise.  He 
has  availed  himself  in  the  moi.t  absolute  manner  of  all  pre- 
vious work  in  these  departments,  which  he  was  able  to  secure 
and  judged  valuable  for  his  purpose,  and  here  makes  general 
acknowledgment  of  that  fact.  In  Section  II,  will  be  found 
more  specific  acknowledgment  of  indebtedness ;  and  the 
reader's  attention  is  asked  to  this,  as  well  as  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  Introduction,  which  it  is  hoped  will  fully  explain 
the  scope,  sources,  and  arrangement  of  this  work. 

A  final  remark  before  commending  the  book  to  the  read- 
er's indulgence  must  be  the  expression  of  regret,  that  due 
regard  for  conciseness  in  the  foot  notes,  and  for  the  avoid- 
ance of  ambiguity  and  monotonous  repetition  in  the  text,  has 
prevented  the  use,  throughout  the  work,  of  certain  forms  of 
reverence  and  respect  towards  our  Lord  and  the  Gospel  char- 
acters, which  the  author  would  have  preferred.  Jesus  Christ 
has  been  referred  to  with  the  capitalized  pronoun,  only  when 
He  was  distinctly  addressed  as  God,  and  the  usual  titles  of 
reverence  for  saintly  personages  have  been  omitted.     The 


PREFACE 


vu 


writer  has  tried,  however,  not  to  forget  that  however  gro- 
tesque the  mise  en  scene  which  men's  vain  imaginations  have 
supplied,  he  had  always  to  do  with  sacred  things  throughout 
these  pages,  and  walked  on  holy  ground.  And  he  adds  here 
his  general  expression  of  regret,  which  is  more  than  once 
recorded  in  the  notes  regarding  specific  matters,  that  much 
which  is  repugnant  to  reverent  Christian  feeling  had  neces- 
sarily to  be  included  in  these  pages. 
Grace  Church  Rectory,  Monroe,  La., 
Eastertide,  /poj 


CONTENTS 

Preface v 

INTRODUCTION 

Section      I — Introductory    Remarks    on    the    Extra-Canonical 

Literature  regarding  Christ's  Life  and  Words      xi 

Section    II — List  of  Authorities  chiefly  used  in  preparing  this 

Work xxiv 

Section  III — List  of  the  Main  Sources  of  the  following  text, 

with  introductory  matter  regarding  each xxx 

Section  IV — List    of    Lost    and    Fragmentary    Gospels,    with 

Notes li 

Section  V — List  of  the  Principal  Church  Writers  and  Anony- 
mous Documents,  with  Approximate  Dates....   Iviii 

CHAPTER  I 

Christ's  Grandparents  according  to  the  Flesh I 

CHAPTER  II 

The  Birth  and  Childhood  of  Mary 12 

CHAPTER  III 

The  Betrothal  and   Annunciation 25 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Virginity  of   Mary  Vindicated 38 

CHAPTER  V 

The    Nativity   of    Christ 48 

CHAPTER  VI 

The  Visit  of  the  Magi 63 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Flight  into  Egypt 77 

CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Miracles   Performed   in   Egypt 93 

CHAPTER  IX 

Wonder  Tales  of  the  Childhood  of  Christ 109 

CHAPTER  X 

The  Child   Christ   Performs   Wonderful   Cures 122 

CHAPTER  XI 

Destructive  Miracles  of  Christ's   Childhood 139 

CHAPTER  XII 

The  Child  Christ  and  His  Teachers 150 

CHAPTER  XIII 

Christ's  Visit  to  the  Temple  and  Home  Life  at  Nazareth 162 

CHAPTER  XIV 
The  Death  of  the  Old  Man  Joseph 173 

ix 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XV 
Christ  Made  a  Priest,  Baptized,  and  Calls  His  Apostles 189 

CHAPTER  XVI 
The  First   Public   Miracles   of   Christ 207 

CHAPTER  XVH 
The  Healing  of  Abgar  and  Other  Miracles 219 

CHAPTER  XVHI 

Christ   Raises  the   Dead 230 

CHAPTER  XIX 

The  Words  of  Christ — The  Agrapha 242 

CHAPTER  XX 
The  Words  of  Christ — Miscellaneous 266 

CHAPTER  XXI 
Christ  on  the  Holy  Mount 286 

CHAPTER  XXII 
The   Conspiracy   against   Christ 298 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
The  Last  Supper,  Betrayal,  and  Arraignment 308 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
Christ  before   Pilate 3-20 

CHAPTER  XXV 
The  Sentence  and  Way  of  the  Cross 332 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
The    Crucifixion 348 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

The   Burial   of   Christ 363 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 
The  Descent  into  Hell 375 

CHAPTER  XXIX 
Christ   Delivers  the  Fathers 387 

CHAPTER  XXX 
The  Resurrection 396 

CHAPTER  XXXI 
Revelations  during  the   Great   Forty   Days 410 

CHAPTER  XXXII 

The  Revelations  of  the  Forty  Days  Concluded 423 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

The    Ascension 438 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 
Further   Testimony   concerning    Christ 449 

CHAPTER  XXXV 

Pilate's  Inquiries  and  the  Letters  to  Caesar 462 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 

The  Embassy  of  Volusianus  and   Caesar's   Cure 474 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 
The  Correspondence  of   Pilate  and  Herod 486 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

The  Avenging  of  the  Saviour 497 

Index   of   Texts , 507 

General    Index , 516 


SECTION  I. 

INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS  ON  THE  EXTRA-CANONICAL 

LITERATURE   REGARDING   CHRIST'S 

LIFE  AND  WORDS. 

I.  The  Limits  of  this  Literature,  and  Plan  of  the  Following 
Text.  I  make  these  limits  include  all  extra-canonical  docu- 
ments professing  to  tell  anything  regarding  the  Life  and 
Words  of  Christ,  save  palpably  modern  fabrications  ;  such  as, 
the  pretended  revelations  of  Roman  Catholic  and  other  seers 
and  mystics,  and  works  like  the  recent  "Unknown  Life  of 
Christ."  Even  these,  however,  are  in  many  cases  referred  to 
in  the  notes.  My  sources,  then,  will  be  found  to  include: 
The  Apocryphal  Gospels,  commonly  so  called;  many  frag- 
ments related  to  same ;  such  portions  of  the  Apocryphal  Acts 
and  Apocalypses  as  refer  directly  to  Christ's  Life  or  Words ; 
the  Agrapha,  or  Traditional  Words  of  Christ  preserved  by 
the  Church  fathers  and  other  writers ;  the  Heretical,  Forged, 
Hostile,  and  especially  Gnostic  Gospels,  Acts,  and  Apoca- 
lypses ;  the  Traditions  reported  by  the  Church  writers,  who 
are  listed  in  Section  V,  ranging  in  date  from  the  first  century 
to  the  seventeenth ;  finally,  various  illustrative  matter  found 
mainly  in  the  notes,  drawn  from  the  Old  Testament  Pseud- 
epigrapha,  from  the  Lives  of  the  Saints,  from  Rabbinical, 
Mohammedan,  and  other  Oriental  sources,  from  folk-lore, 
various  mythologies,  and  other  quarters  that  it  would  be 
tedious  to  specify. 

Having  first  determined  my  principal  sources,  I  have  woven 
the  narrative  of  the  text  from  the  exact  words  of  these  docu- 
ments, making  no  more  verbal  changes  than  were  absolutely 
necessary.  Throughout  most  of  the  book,  I  have  had  to 
combine  the  narratives  of  two  or  more  documents  to  form 

(  xi  ) 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

this  text ;  it  thus  became  necessary  in  many  places  to  prune 
away  resulting  redundancy  of  words,  but  this  has  been  done 
with  a  sparing  hand ;  and  I  am  confident  that  rarely  has  one 
material  sentence,  or  even  significant  word,  coming  from  any 
of  these  sources,  been  omitted  from  the  resulting  version.  I 
believe  that  it  thus  presents  the  valuable  advantage  of  offer- 
ing practically  all  the  substance  of  this  literature  in  a  form 
much  more  condensed  and  convenient  than  has  before  been 
given  it.  The  liberties  that  I  have  taken  with  texts  have  been 
confined  to  changes  in  unimportant  connective  words  or 
clauses,  in  the  form  of  discourse  whether  direct  or  indirect, 
and  in  the  substitution  of  a  harmonious  set  of  legendary 
proper  names  for  the  various  ones  used  by  the  several  docu- 
ments. I  have  endeavoured  to  make  the  entire  story  told  by 
my  text  reasonably  consistent  throughout,  and  where  con- 
flicting traditions  rendered  this  impossible  have,  in  some  cases 
consigned  alternative  versions  to  the  notes,  in  others  told 
them  in  the  text  with  the  introductory  formula,  "others  say." 
It  must  be  well  understood,  that  so  far  from  my  endeavour 
being  to  sift  and  present  the  most  primitive  forms  of  legends, 
I  have,  on  the  contrary,  in  every  case  preferred  the  most 
elaborate,  which  have  usually  been  the  latest  versions  of  them. 
I  would  add,  that  constantly  I  have  been  surprised  at  the  un- 
expected degree  of  harmony  that  prevails  amongst  a  collec- 
tion of  traditions  drawn  from  ages  and  sources  so  diverse. 

In  addition  to  the  "Main  Sources,"  listed  in  Section  III  of 
this  Introduction,  I  have  in  many  places  included  in  the  text 
words,  sentences,  and  longer  portions  drawn  from  still  other 
quarters.  In  such  cases,  with  the  following  exception,  these 
lesser  sources  are  accompanied  by  foot  notes  which  treat 
briefly  of  their  origin,  so  that  they  do  not  demand  special 
notice  in  the  Introduction.  The  exception  to  this  is  formed 
by  the  fragments  of  lost  Apocryphal  or  Heretical  Gospels, 
which  are  not  extended  enough  to  be  ranked  amongst  the 
"Main  Sources."  All  Gospel  names  of  this  kind,  whether  or 
not  fragments  of  them  are  extant,  will  be  found  catalogued 
and  briefly  described  in  Section  IV  of  the  Introduction.  I 
am  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  distinction  drawn  between 


PLAN  OF  THIS  WORK  xiii 

the  "Main  Sources"  and  the  lesser  ones,  is  not  always  logical. 
I  have  founded  it  mainly  on  the  comparative  length  of  the 
different  documents  used.  My  "Main  Sources"  are  in  gen- 
eral those  documents  of  greater  length  and  more  widely  rec- 
ognized apocryphal  standing,  although  they  embrace  some  of 
the  latest  and  most  worthless  of  figments.  On  the  other 
hand,  my  lesser  miscellaneous  sources,  along  with  matter  of 
the  very  least  importance,  include  the  Agrapha  and  most  of 
the  tradition  that  has  greatest  intrinsic  value. 

At  the  head  of  each  chapter  of  the  text  will  be  found  a  list 
of  the  "Main  Sources"  from  which  it  was  woven ;  also,  refer- 
ences to  definite  parts  of  these  sources,  in  cases  where  there 
is  a  recognized  division  of  them  into  chapters  or  sections. 
The  name  of  each  of  the  "Main  Sources"  is  always  preceded 
by  an  Arabic  number  in  parentheses ;  and  this  number  is, 
throughout  the  book,  used  for  reference  to  that  document. 
Reference  to  the  corresponding  number  in  Section  III  of  the 
Introduction  will  give  the  reader  such  facts  in  regard  to  any 
document  as  I  am  able  to  present.  There  will  also  be  found 
here,  at  the  beginning  of  the  account  of  each  "Main  Source," 
a  list  of  the  chapters  of  the  text  in  which  it  is  used.  Accom- 
panying each  paragraph  of  the  text — in  the  case  of  chap. 
XIX,  at  the  top  of  each  page — there  will  be  found  side  refer- 
ences to  these  same  numbers  in  parentheses,  showing  the 
"Main  Source,"  or  "Sources,"  from  which  the  paragraph  has 
been  formed.  When  the  side  reference  "(n)"  is  thus  used, 
it  indicates  that  none  of  the  "Main  Sources"  have  been  drawn 
upon  in  the  composition  of  the  paragraph,  but  that  its  source 
will  be  shown  by  a  foot  note,  or  notes,  referring  to  its  con- 
tents. The  "Main  Sources"  are  also  referred  to  in  the  foot 
notes  by  the  use  of  these  Arabic  numbers  in  parentheses.  I 
think  that  the  advantages  of  such  a  system  of  references,  en- 
abling the  reader  definitely  to  locate  the  source  of  any  legend 
or  statement  in  the  book,  will  be  generally  recognized. 

The  first  fourteen  chapters  of  my  text  contain  what  are 
commonly  called  the  "Apocryphal  Gospels  of  the  Infancy," 
and  comparatively  little  else ;  there  is  here  the  smallest  infu- 
sion of  newly-discovered  matter.     Chapters  XV-XXI,  I  con- 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

sider  the  most  interesting  in  the  book  from  every  point  of 
view.  Very  little  purely  apocryphal  literature  relating  to 
Christ's  public  ministry  has  ever  been  discovered,  Gospels 
treating  of  this  period  being  necessarily  rather  heretical  than 
apocryphal.  These  chapters  are  formed,  therefore,  mainly 
of  fragments  preserved  by  the  Church  writers,  and  contain 
the  larger  part  of  the  most  interesting  and  reasonable  extra- 
canonical  literature,  as  well  as  a  great  deal  of  matter  that  has 
not  been  accessible  until  recently.  The  Gospel  of  Nicodemus 
forms  the  framework  for  the  rest  of  the  book.  Chapter 
XXV,  however,  is  composed  mainly  of  later  legends,  chap- 
ters XXXI  and  XXXII  are  really  Apocryphal  Apocalypses, 
and  the  last  four  chapters  of  the  book  are  formed  from  docu- 
ments regarding  the  "Avenging  of  the  Saviour,"  which  are 
much  later  developments  of  the  Nicodemus  Gospel. 

2.  The  Heretical,  and  Particularly  the  Gnostic,  Gospels. 
That  there  were  in  existence  very  early,  certain  so-called 
"Gospels,"  distinct  from  the  four  that  have  come  down  to  us 
with  the  Church's  imprimatur,  is  not  alone  evident  from 
fragments  which  remain,  but  is  clearly  stated  in  the  New 
Testament.  The  plainest  indications  of  this  are  to  be  found 
in  the  first  verse  of  St.  Luke's  Gospel,  and  perhaps,  in  a  gen- 
eral way,  in  the  last  verse  of  St.  John's.  But  earlier  still,  St. 
Paul,  who  unquestionably  penned  the  first  books  that  are 
found  in  our  present  canon,  has  frequent  references  to  "his 
Gospel,"  and  vigorously  combats  "other  Gospels,"  which  he 
finds  in  existence.  Even  if  the  Apostle's  expressions  be  un- 
derstood to  refer  to  nothing  more  than  certain  oral  schemes 
of  doctrine,  they  furnish  a  strong  presumption  that  the 
"other"  oral  Gospels  would  later  harden  into  hostile  records, 
even  as  the  teaching  of  the  Church  is  that  St.  Paul's  Gospel 
was  soon  after  written,  and  fixed  in  the  form  of  the  canonical 
four,  or  some  of  them.  And  whilst  limitations  of  space  do 
not  permit  me  to  discuss  the  question  as  to  whether  or  not 
Gnostic  references  are  found  in  the  New  Testament,  I  at  least 
record  my  conviction,  that  the  "profane  and  vain  babblings, 
and  oppositions  of  Gnosis  falsely  so  called"  (I  Tim.  vi.2o), 
the  "fables  and  endless  genealogies"  (I  Tim.  1,4),  with  many 


THE  HERETICAL  GOSPELS  xv 

other  references,  indicate  that  Gnostic  literature,  or  its  in- 
spiration at  least,  was  already  in  existence. 

References  to  such  notices  of  early  Hostile  Gospels  as  have 
been  preserved,  and  to  such  fragments  of  them  as  remain, 
will  be  found  in  Section  HI,  and  especially  Section  IV,  of 
this  Introduction.  I  here  call  special  attention  to  only  a  few 
of  these,  that  have  particular  significance  for  the  bearing  of 
the  questions  that  they  raise  upon  the  problems  as  to  the  date 
and  authorship  of  the  four  Gospels.  They  are :  The  Gospel 
of  the  Hebrews  in  its  various  forms ;  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyp- 
tians ;  the  Didascalia  Gospel ;  and  the  Gospel  of  Peter.  It  is 
abundantly  plain  from  the  indications  furnished  by  these, 
that  the  nascent  Catholic  church  had,  with  its  four  Gospels, 
first  to  meet  the  attacks  of  rationalizing  Jewish  Gospels,  and 
next,  or  perhaps  simultaneously,  of  Gnostic  productions  which 
went  to  the  other  extreme  of  legend-mongering,  and  over- 
laying the  simple  fabric  of  Christ's  teachings  with  a  luxuriant 
embroidery  drawn  from  the  mythology  of  almost  all  known 
religions.  ^ 

There  is  little  excuse  for  asking  the  question  so  often  pro- 
pounded in  this  connection,  as  to  whether  we  have  the  right 
four  Gospels,  and  as  to  how  the  Church  came  to  canonize  only 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John  from  amidst  the  multitude 
of  so-called  "Gospels"  that  certainly  swarmed,  at  least  in  the 
second  and  third  centuries.  The  answer  is,  that  the  four 
Gospels  alone  originated  in  the  Catholic  church,  or  in  those 
quarters  that  afterwards  hardened  into  the  Catholic  organ- 
ization; on  the  other  hand,  the  Ebionitic  Gospels  arose 
amongst  the  Hebrew  Christians,  and  the  Gnostic  writings  of  / 
various  types,  amidst  the  Gnostic  communities.  It  would  be 
as  irrational  to  suppose  that  the  Catholic  church  of  the  second 
or  third  centuries  might  receive  Ebionitic  and  Gnostic  docu- 
ments for  canonical,  as  it  would  be  to  imagine  that  the  ortho- 
dox Christianity  of  the  present  might  accept  the  Book  of 
Mormon  as  inspired.  The  Heretical  Gospels  doubtless  per- 
ished in  great  numbers  with  the  passing  of  the  sects  that  gave 
them  birth;  but  many  of  them  survived.  And  when  the 
verv  memory  of  their  hostile  origin  had  been  lost,  they 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

might  readily  be  taken  up  and  received  in  certain  quarters 
by  Catholics,  especially  after  some  of  the  more  glaring  evi- 
dences of  their  heretical  origin  had  been  edited  away;  it 
was  too  late,  however,  for  any  possibility  to  exist  that  they 
might  be  received  as  canonical.  This  evolution  is,  in  my 
opinion,  the  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  greater  part  of 
what  are  called  Apocryphal  Gospels,  and  even,  derivatively, 
of  most  Christian  legends.  And  as  practically  all  the  false 
Gospels  which  survived  in  this  form  were  Gnostic,  I  have 
no  hesitation  about  characterizing  the  text  of  the  book 
which  follows,  as  mainly  a  Gnostic  Life  of  Christ.  Con- 
firmations of  this  conclusion  will  be  supplied  by  the  matter 
contained  in  Sections  III  and  IV  of  this  Introduction,  and 
by  the  notes  found  throughout  the  work. 

3.  The  Gnostics  and  their  Books.  Gnosticism  is  certainly 
v/the  most  extensive  and  protean  collection  of  religious  beliefs 
and  speculations,  which  has  ever  been  commonly  designated 
by  a  single  name.  An  exact  definition  of  it  is,  therefore, 
impossible ;  but  it  may  be  described  as  the  sum  total  of  nu- 
merous attempts  made,  during  the  first  three  Christian  cent- 
uries particularly,  to  combine  two  or  more  existing  re- 
ligions into  one  system.  Such  composite  religions,  which 
were  characteristic  of  those  centuries,  usually  had  a  tend- 
ency towards  allegorizing  and  mysticism,  pretended  to  pos- 
sess important  secrets  known  only  to  the  initiated,  and  were 
predominantly  dualistic ;  but  they  did  not  necessarily  have 
an  evident  Christian  element.  For  I  take  the  cults  of  Sera- 
pis  and  Mithras  to  be  properly  called  Gnostic  in  the  wider 
sense,  although  they  were  exclusively  heathen  in  origin. 
Gnosticism,  however,  generally  contained  a  Christian  ele- 
ment ;  and  the  idea  of  redemption  was  the  one  which  above 
all  it  took  from  this  source. 

The  numerous  Christian  Gnostic  systems  which  arose 
have  been  classified  in  a  number  of  different  ways;  but  it 
would  go  altogether  beyond  the  possible  limits  of  this  Intro- 
duction, even  to  attempt  to  sketch  these  divisions.  The 
whole  subject  of  Gnosticism  yet  remains  one  of  the  most 
obscure  in  the  domain  of  Church  history,  although  its  im- 


THE  GNOSTIC  BOOKS  xvii 

portance  cannot  be  overrated.  There  is  no  exhaustive  treat- 
ment of  the  subject  in  English.  The  bibHographical  index 
in  the  appendix  to  King's  book  is  the  best  of  which  I  know, 
and  will  afford  ample  references  for  those  who  wish  to  carry 
the  study  of  this  subject  further.  Suffice  it  to  say  here,  that 
the  various  Gnostic  systems  represent  greater  or  lesser  ad- 
mixtures of  Christian  and  Jewish  elements  with  the  religions 
of  Persia,  Syria,  and  old  Egypt,  with  Buddhism,  with  the 
classical  religions,  and  with,  perhaps,  other  sources  to  this 
day  unidentified.  The  number  and  complexity  of  the  ele- 
ments thus  introduced  under  the  name  of  Christianity,  and 
cropping  out  unexpectedly  in  apocryphal  literature,  is  quite 
startling.  And  the  fact  that  this  admixture  has  taken  place 
is  the  key  to  the  numerous  coincidences  between  certain 
forms  of  Christianity  and  alien  religions,  which  often  sur- 
prise the  student.  Gnosticism,  in  its  earlier  course  and  in  its 
later  Manichaean  forms,  has  made  of  Christ's  religion  athe- 
ism, pantheism,  dualism,  monotheism,  idolatry,  and  prac- 
tically every  form  of  doctrine  which  the  history  of  compara- 
tive religion  discloses.  Illustrations  of  this  will  be  found 
plentifully  in  the  notes  on  the  succeeding  text. 

But  the  characteristic  of  Christian  Gnosticism  which  has 
the  principal  interest  in  this  connection,  is  its  marvellous 
fecundity  in  the  production  of  pseudepigraphic  books.  The 
many  titles  and  fragments  of  these  that  remain,  together 
with  the  numerous  references  in  the  writings  of  the  fathers 
of  the  Church  to  the  multitude  of  Gnostic  books,  justify  us 
in  forming  the  conclusion  that  the  literary  activity  of  these 
sectaries  was  an  unique  phenomenon.  However  repellent 
it  may  be  to  modern  ideas  of  honesty,  that  books  should  be 
composed  in  the  names  of  dead  celebrities,  with  the  intent 
to  impose  upon  the  public  as  to  their  authorship,  most  of 
the  ancient  world  apparently  did  not  share  in  this  feeling. 
Not  alone  do  the  Jewish  pseudepigrapha  illustrate  this  fact, 
but  Greek  and  Roman  instances  of  it  are  many.  The  Gnos- 
tics, however,  seem  to  have  carried  this  bad  fashion  to  the 
greatest  conceivable  height.  We  know  that  they  forged  a 
perfect  swarm  of  writings  professing  to  be  the  works  of 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

Christ,  of  His  Apostles,  and  of  all  the  other  principal  char- 
acters of  the  New  Testament,  as  well  as  of  the  Old.  In  ac- 
cordance with  traces  found  in  the  writings  of  the  Church 
fathers,  we  are  enabled  to  infer,  for  instance,  that  the  Gnos- 
tics had  their  so-called  Gospels  or  other  books  attributed  to 
Adam,  Seth,  Cain,  and  Melchizedek  amongst  others.  Every 
Gnostic  vagary  seems  to  have  felt  at  liberty  to  support  itself 
by  any  figment  which  imagination  could  contrive.  The 
modern  student  stands  amazed  at  such  titles  as,  the  "Gospel 
of  Judas  Iscariot,"  and  the  "Gospel  of  Eve"  (see  Section 
IV  of  Introduction),  and  wonders  whether  any  religious 
enthusiasts  could  have  taken  such  documents  seriously,  or, 
more  wonderful  still,  could  have  expected  the  outside  world 
to  receive  them.  The  existence  of  these  books  is  certainly 
a  crowning  illustration  of  the  lengths  to  which  credulity  may 
extend. 

4.  Other  Sources  of  the  Apocryphal  Gospels  and  Related 
Literature.  It  is  evident  that  Gnostic  literature  was  pro- 
duced in  great  enough  abundance  and  variety  of  forms  to 
account  directly  or  derivatively  for  all  the  vagaries  of  Chris- 
tian apocrypha  and  legend  in  later  ages.  But  there  are 
other  sources  whence  at  least  some  of  this  latter  came ;  and 
there  were  forces  that  had  powerful  influence  in  the  way  of 
adapting  Gnostic  figments  to  Catholic  use.  It  may,  indeed, 
in  the  first  place  be  conceded,  that  a  small  amount  of  au- 
thentic tradition  regarding  the  Founder  of  Christianity  and 
His  words  is  probably  to  be  found  in  the  following  pages. 
The  sources  that  are  most  likely  to  contain  this  are  the  more 
widely-quoted  Agrapha,  the  Gospels  specially  referred  to  in 
division  2  of  this  Section,  and  perhaps  a  few  legends ;  such 
as,  that  regarding  the  Cave  of  the  Nativity. 

But  I  think  that  outside  of  Gnosticism  proper,  the  most 
powerful  influence  in  producing  Christian  apocrypha  or 
legend  was  what  Cowper  calls  the  "haggadistic"  one.  The 
Jews  were  accustomed  to  write  "haggadoth"  or  stories, 
confessedly  fictitious,  but  containing  a  didactic  as  well  as 
amusing  element,  concerning  scriptural  characters,  incidents, 
or  texts.     These  are  extant  in  great  numbers,  and  many  of 


THE  CHRISTIAN  HAGGADOTH  xix 

them  are  referred  to  in  the  notes  on  the  following  text.  Now 
it  is  plain  that  some  of  the  apocryphal  stories  are  only  Chris- 
tian haggadoth.  Even  though  they  be  of  Gnostic  origin, 
it  is  conceivable  that  their  first  inspiration  was  the  same 
motive  as  that  which  impelled  the  composition  of  a  modern 
"Ben  Hur,"  or  "Prince  of  the  House  of  David,"  only  the 
desire  to  furnish  amusement  conjoined  with  religious  in- 
struction. Since  there  are  certain  gaps  in  the  life  of  Christ 
about  which  the  canonical  scriptures  give  little  information ; 
the  Infancy,  the  period  spent  in  Egypt,  the  Childhood  at 
Nazareth,  the  early  Manhood,  and  the  Forty  Days  after  the 
Resurrection,  Christian  imagination  would  dwell  on  these, 
and  fill  them  in  with  fictitious  events.  Some  of  these  com- 
positions may  have  been  Gnostic  with  strong  theological 
bias,  others  Catholic,  without  thought  of  adding  to  received 
tradition ;  but  elements  from  both  one  and  the  other  class 
may  finally  have  been  taken  literally  by  certain  Christians. 

The  attempt  to  explain  mysterious  texts  of  scripture,  and 
to  show  how  Old  Testament  prophecies  had  been  fulfilled, 
was  especially  an  inspiration  of  these  haggadoth,  both 
Gnostic  and  Catholic.  In  the  text  will  be  found  many  illus- 
trations of  this,  as  well  as  of  the  unwitting  production,  as  I 
think,  of  legend  by  preachers  amidst  the  heat  of  eloquence 
in  public  discourse.  A  figurative  reference  might  in  a  ser- 
mon be  made,  for  instance,  to  David's  presence  at  some  New 
Testament  scene ;  this,  if  reported,  might  in  time  come  to  be 
taken  literally,  and  the  truth  of  the  tradition  be  vouched  for 
by  the  high  authority  of  the  preacher.  For  further  remarks 
regarding  legends  in  general,  the  Agrapha,  and  Moham- 
medan Legends,  I  refer  in  this  connection  to  (50),  (30), 
and  (29),  in  Section  III  of  this  Introduction. 

5.  The  Intrinsic  Value  and  Past  Influence  of  this  Litera- 
ture. The  total  impression  produced  by  an  examination  of 
the  voluminous  literature  embraced  in  the  text  which  fol- 
lows cannot  but  be  one  of  disappointment.  Not  that  it  does 
not  contain  much  that  is  novel  and  interesting,  but  so  much 
more  naturally  might  have  been  expected  from  it.  Dealing, 
in  at  least  one  manner,  with  the  series  of  historical  events 


XX  INTRODUCTION 

that  has,  in  Christianity,  produced  the  civiUzation  and  cul- 
ture of  the  Western  world,  and  incidentally  treating  of  the 
most  momentous  problems  that  have  ever  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  humanity ;  this  literature,  as  a  whole,  is  characterized 
l)y  no  elevation  of  thought,  no  power  of  imagination,  no 
depth  of  that  poetical  feeling  which  might  have  been  ex- 
pected in  the  treatment  of  a  theme  so  exalted.  It  is  crude, 
commonplace,  as  destitute  of  graces  of  form  as  it  is  of  orig- 
inality in  thought ;  and  it  descends  at  every  turn  to  the  level 
of  the  puerile,  or  extends  into  the  domain  of  the  irrational. 
It  must  ever  remain  a  wonder  of  literary  inefficiency,  and  a 
testimony  to  the  unique  and  inimitable  character  of  the  ca- 
nonical Gospels;  that  the  Gnostic  and  the  legend-monger, 
with  the  magnificent  theme  of  the  Saviour's  life  before  them, 
and  no  limitations  imposed  by  conscientious  adherence  to 
historical  verity,  have  produced  no  worthier  work  than  this. 

In  saying  this,  however,  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  fact 
that  a  few  of  these  documents  do  not  deserve  strictures  quite 
so  extreme.  The  Second  Part  of  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus, 
or  the  Descent  of  Christ  into  Hell,  for  instance,  I  recognize 
as  possessing  some  poetical  beauties,  and  as  being  measur- 
ably worthy  of  the  theme  it  sets  forth.  The  composition  is 
essentially  apocalyptic;  and  the  same  comparatively  favor- 
able comments  may  likewise  be  made  with  regard  to  some  of 
the  other  Apocryphal  Apocalypses  that  I  have  included  in 
my  text.  Apocalyptic  literature,  indeed,  seems  to  have  dis- 
played the  inventive  faculties  of  the  Gnostic  at  their  best, 
just  as  narratives  of  real  life  evinced  his  weakness.  Fur- 
ther, it  may  be  admitted  that  some  late  legends  are  not  want- 
ing in  picturesqueness,  whilst  the  Agrapha,  and  Heretical 
Gospel  fragments  contain  matter  worthy  of  serious  attention ; 
but  as  for  the  Apocryphal  Gospels  ordinarily  so  called,  I  can 
think  of  but  few  passages  in  them,  principally  in  the  Prot- 
evangelium,  which  rise  to  the  dignity  of  literature.  Over 
against  these  must  be  set  hundreds  of  expressions  and  pas- 
sages that  are  not  alone  weak,  vapid,  puerile ;  but  also, 
coarse,  vulgar,  and  painful. 

Yet  this  literature  has  undoubtedly  had  great  influence  on 


VALUE  OF  THIS  LITERATURE  xxi 

Christian  theology,  has  played  a  large  part  in  supplying  the 
popular  conception  of  religion  during  some  ages,  and  has 
shared  in  almost  equal  degree  with  the  canonical  New  Tes- 
tament in  furnishing  the  inspiration  for  Christian  art.  Its 
practical  importance  in  the  past,  therefore,  has  been  very 
great.  And  whilst  the  idea  is  without  foundation,  that  the 
Apocryphal  Gospels  ever  enjoyed  a  position  approaching 
canonicity  in  the  Catholic  Church,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
some  of  their  principal  contents  have  reached  an  almost  equal 
dignity  in  a  roundabout  manner.  The  names  of  Joachim 
and  Anna,  with  their  legend ;  the  story  of  Mary's  early  life, 
and  her  final  assumption ;  the  particulars  of  the  Descent  into 
Hell ;  all  these  and  many  other  things  have  found  their  way 
into  breviaries,  have  been  seriously  discussed  by  the  doctors 
of  the  Church,  and  have  duly  taken  their  places  in  the  popu- 
lar religious  systems  of  most  of  the  Christian  world.  If  to 
these  matters  be  added  the  influence  of  Gnostic  and  apocry- 
phal ideas  in  forming  the  Catholic  tradition  regarding  the 
sacraments,  eternal  punishment,  purgatory,  the  state  of  the 
blessed  dead,  the  honour  due  to  Mary,  and  other  matters 
which  will  be  found  mentioned  in  the  notes ;  it  will  have  to 
be  conceded  that  these  have  formed  an  element  in  the  devel- 
opment of  Christianity  that  can  by  no  means  be  disregarded. 
6.  The  Present  Interest  and  Value  of  this  Literature. 
This  .comes,  I  think,  in  greatest  measure,  from  the  recent 
revived  and  altogether  extraordinary  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  the  Life  of  Christ.  That  Life  has,  in  the  last  few 
years,  been  written  and  re-written  from  almost  every  con- 
ceivable point  of  view ;  its  exploitation  in  fictional  forms  has 
been  quite  one  of  the  features  of  the  period.  Yet  the  mate- 
rial from  which  it  is  to  be  reconstructed  is  slender  indeed, — 
the  four  Gospels,  some  suggestions  from  the  rest  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  a  few  touches  from  Jewish  and  classical 
sources.  Now  whilst,  as  my  notes  and  introductory  matter 
everywhere  show,  I  hold  but  a  low  estimate  of  the  amount 
of  reliable  tradition  about  Christ's  life  contained  in  the  extra- 
canonical  literature,  I  do  believe  that  the  great  body  of  the 
Christian  world  would  be  deeply  interested  in  it  in  this  con- 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

nection.  It  is  at  least  a  monument  of  what  many  men  of 
many  centuries  have  thought,  and  dreamed,  and  romanced 
about  that  Hfe  of  all-absorbing  interest  and  unparalleled  in- 
fluence. Yet,  in  but  few  attempted  Lives  of  Christ  is  ex- 
tended mention  made  of  the  traditions  of  the  Church  fathers, 
or  are  the  most  important  apocryphal  and  legendary  stories 
even  noted.  It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to  me  that  never  be- 
fore in  English,  and  only  once  in  any  language,  has  such  a 
work  as  the  following  one  been  attempted.  I  might  add, 
that  the  reception  which  has  been  accorded  to  the  rough 
drafts  of  a  number  of  the  following  chapters,  as  they  have 
appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  Sunday  newspapers,  proves 
conclusively  the  popular  interest  which  these  stories  arouse 
at  present. 

Estimating  them  by  the  value  of  their  lowest  elements, 
they  represent  the  romances  which  Gnostics  wrote  in  the 
early  centuries,  and  the  legends  which  Catholics  evolved  in 
times  as  recent  as  the  Middle  Ages.  I  should  say  that  even 
these  poor  fictions  are,  from  many  points  of  view,  far  more 
interesting  than  the  most  cunningly  conceived  modern  novels 
dealing  with  the  same  themes.  If  it  be  objected  that  a  patch- 
work consisting  of  elements  originating  in  every  century 
from  the  first  to  the  seventeenth  must  necessarily  be  in  many 
respects  discordant,  that  fact  may  readily  be  conceded ;  but 
the  text  that  follows  will  appear  truly  ridiculous  only  to  one 
who  has  no  appreciation  of  the  development  which  has  taken 
place  through  the  centuries  in  the  polity  and  doctrine  of  the 
Church.  In  my  judgment,  such  a  narrative,  woven  from 
such  sources,  furnishes  a  most  useful  series  of  illustrations 
of  the  influence  of  the  principal  heresies  and  strong  tend- 
encies that  have  given  form  to  our  Christian  inheritance  of 
the  present. 

As  for  other  present  uses  of  this  literature,  it  is  important 
also,  as  I  have  before  intimated,  on  account  of  its  connection 
with  some  of  the  problems  concerning  the  date  and  author- 
ship of  the  four  Gospels.  Space,  however,  does  not  allow 
me  to  enter  into  any  discussion  of  this  matter.  Again,  it  is 
of  interest  as  furnishing  interpretations  from  many  diverse 


THIS  LITERATURE'S  LESSON  xxiii 

sources  of  a  number  of  the  most  mysterious  texts  of  scrip- 
ture. Some  of  its  Christian  haggadoth  may  even  yet,  I 
think,  with  profit  be  used  as  illustrations,  and  will  be  found 
interesting  by  Christian  teachers  and  ministers.  But  its 
most  important  lesson,  and  one  which  it  cannot  fail  to  im- 
press upon  the  most  casual  reader,  dowered  with  the  mini- 
mum of  literary  and  critical  taste,  is  that  of  the  utter  unlike- 
ness  of  tiiis  literature  to  the  canonical  books  of  the  New 
Testament:.  Under  a  superficial  likeness  it  everywhere  dem- 
onstrates an  essential  unlikeness ;  and  shows  that  not  alone 
did  the  four  Gospels  have  no  serious  rivals  in  the  early 
church,  but  that  the  combined  heretical  efifort  of  all  succeed- 
ing ages  was  incapable  of  imitating  them  successfally.  I 
can  conceive  of  no  more  convincing  testimony  than  this  to 
the  entirely  exceptional,  and  to  use  an  unpopular  term, 
supernatural  inspiration  of  the  canonical  Gospels. 


SECTION  II. 

LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  CHIEFLY  USED  IN  PFEPARING 
THIS  WORK. 

This  list  is  given,  and  remarks  are  made  on  the  contents 
of  these  books,  chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  be 
further  interested  in  such  studies.  The  most  copious  bibli- 
ography of  the  subject  will  be  found  in  volume  IX  of  the 
Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  p.  95,  seq.  The  index  to  Migne's 
Dictionnaire  des  Apocryphes  contains  the  most  extensive 
list  of  apocryphal  documents  of  which  I  know,  I  have  not 
thought  it  necessary  to  add  here  a  list  of  the  Lives  of  Christ, 
versions  of  the  scriptures,  works  ol  reference,  etc.,  which  I 
have  used,  or  of  the  large  number  of  book?,  from  which  I 
have  been  compelled  to  draw  at  second  Viand.  Many  such 
works  are  mentioned  in  the  notes.  In  general,  the  works 
below  mentioned  are  referred  to  throughout  my  book  by  the 
use  of  the  author's  last  name. 

1.  Codex  Apocryphus  Novi  Testamenti,  Fabricius,  3  vols., 

Hamburg,  1719. 
A  work  of  immense  erudition  containing  Greek  and  Latin 
texts  of  the  Apocryphal  Gospels  and  fragments.  The  source 
of  almost  all  knowledge  in  this  department  down  to  the  time 
of  Tischendorf,  and  still  invaluable  for  reference  to  frag- 
ments and  citations. 

2.  Codex  Apocryphus  Novi  Testamenti,  J.  C.  Thilo,  Leipsic, 

1832. 
Draws  largely  from  Fabricius,  improves  the  texts,  adds  a 
few  new  ones,  but  does  not  edit  all  of  them. 

3.  Evangelia  Apocrypha,  C.  deTischendorf,  Leipsic,  1876. 
Now  the  standard  critical  edition  of  the  Greek  and  Latin 

texts  of  the  best  known  Apocryphal  Gospels. 

(  xxiv  ) 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  xxv 

4.  Apocalypses  Apocryphae,  C.  deTischendorf,  Leipsic,  1866. 
A  standard  critical  edition  of  a  number  of  the  Apocryphal 

Apocalypses. 

5.  Das  Leben  Jesu  nach  den  Apokryphen,  Rudolph  Hof- 

mann,  Leipsic,  185 1. 
Practically  the  only  book  in  existence  approximating  in 
plan  the  present  work.  I  did  not  know  of  its  existence,  how- 
ever, until  I  had  my  own  book  planned  and  in  great  part 
written.  It  has  probably  been  of  more  direct  use  to  me  than 
any  other  work,  although  not  deserving  as  much  credit  as  the 
volumes  of  Fabricius,  whence  its  notes  are  largely  drawn.  I 
have  incorporated  all  of  these  that  suited  my  purpose.  Hof- 
mann  uses  no  documents  of  importance  that  were  unknown 
to  Fabricius. 

6.  Dictionnaire  des  Apocryphes,  Migne,  2  vols.,  Paris,  1856. 
Contains  French  translations  of  practically  all  the  matter 

given  by  Fabricius  in  both  his  Old  and  New  Testament 
codices,  besides  a  number  of  other  important  documents,  and 
much  legendary  lore.  The  work  is  uncritical,  badly  ar- 
ranged, and  devoid  of  satisfactory  indices,  but  contains  mat- 
ter that  I  have  not  found  elsewhere.  The  notes  have  not 
generally  much  value,  but  I  have  used  a  few  of  them. 

7.  A  New  and  Full  Method  of  Settling  the  Canonical  Au- 

thority of  the  New  Testament,  Jeremiah  Jones,  3  vols., 
Oxford,  1827. 
Contains  the  first  English  translations  of  most  of  the  Fa- 
brician  texts.     I  have  not  found  the  work  of  much  value. 

8.  The   Apocryphal   New   Testament,  W.   Hone,   London, 

1820. 
This  is  a  bad  rehash  of  some  of  the  translations  made  by 
Jones,  along  with  a  number  of  patristic  documents  that  have 
no  place  in  such  a  collection.  It  has  no  value,  either  as 
regards  original  work  or  judicious  arrangement.  Yet  it 
remains  to  this  day  the  basis  of  most  of  the  popular  collec- 
tions of  Apocryphal  Gospels  circulated  in  England  and 
America. 


xxyi  INTRODUCTION 

9.  The  Apocryphal  Gospels,  B.  Harris  Cowper,  London, 

1870. 

By  far  the  best  English  work  on  the  Apocryphal  Gospels. 

It  contains  translations  of  all  of  Tischendorf's  texts,  as  well 

as  of  some  others.     I  have  used  Cowper's  translations  in 

many  cases,  and  have  incorporated  practically  all  his  notes. 

10.  The  Ante-Nicene   Fathers,  American   Edition,   Bishop 

Coxe,  Editor,  10  vols..  New  York,  1890. 
The  eighth  volume  contains  translations  of  all  of  Tischen- 
dorf's texts,  made  by  Alexander  Walker.  I  have,  in  gen- 
eral, followed  these  translations  in  my  text,  and  have  incor- 
porated nearly  all  the  notes.  Volume  X  of  this  series  also 
contains  other  texts  which  I  have  used. 

11.  Anecdota  Grseco-Byzantina,  A.  Vassiliev,  Moscow,  1893. 
A  very  valuable  collection  of  Greek  apocryphal  texts,  some 

of  which  had  never  before  been  published.  At  least  three 
of  these  appear  for  the  first  time  in  English,  in  the  following 
text.     I  have  found  much  useful  matter  in  the  introductions. 

12.  Contributions  to  the  Apocryphal  Literature  of  the  New 
Testament,  W.  Wright,  London,  1865. 

Syriac  texts  with  English  translations,  containing  some 
matter  not  found  elsewhere. 

13.  Euangelium  Infantiae,  Henricus  Sike,  Trajecti  ad 
Rhenum,  1697. 

The  text  is  Arabic,  but  there  is  a  Latin  translation  with 
notes.  These  latter  are  valuable  for  their  citations  from  Mo- 
hammedan writers,  particularly  Kessaeus. 

14.  The  Newly-Recovered  Gospel  of  St.  Peter,  J.  Rendel 
Harris,  London,  1893. 

Has  valuable  introductory  matter. 

15.  Enseignements  de  Jesus-Christ  a  ses  Disciples  et  Prieres 
Magiques;  Les  Apocryphes  Ethiopiens,  Traduits  en 
Frangais  par  Rene  Basset;  Paris,  1896. 

I  have  used  a  part  of  this  in  my  text. 

16.  Mas'h'afa  T'omar;  Les  Apocryphes  Ethiopiens,  Tra- 
duits en  Frangais  par  Rene  Basset;  Paris,  1893. 

References  to  this  work  will  be  found  in  my  notes,  al- 
though I  have  not  used  any  part  of  it  in  the  text. 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  xxvii 

17.  Les  Prieres  de  la  Vierge  a  Bartos  et  au  Golgotha;  Les 
Apocryphes  Ethiopiens,  Traduits  en  Frangais  par  Rene 
Basset;  Paris,  1893. 

A  part  of  this  is  used  in  my  text. 

18.  Coptic  Apocryphal  Gospels ;  Cambridge  Texts  and  Stud- 

ies, Forbes  Robinson;  Cambridge,  1896. 
One  of  the  most  important  contributions  to  apocryphal 
New  Testament  literature  of  recent  times.    I  have  used  much 
from  it  in  my  text  by  the  kind  permission  of  the  author. 

19.  Apocrypha  Anecdota,   First   Series;   Cambridge  Texts 

and  Studies,  M.  R.  James;  Cambridge,  1896. 
Contains  several  documents  of  importance  from  w^hich  I 
have  drawn. 

20.  Apocrypha  Anecdota,  Second  Series;  Cambridge  Texts 

and  Studies,  M.  R.  James;  Cambridge,  1897. 
Contains  much  new  matter  from  which  I  have  drawn 
largely. 

21.  Sayings  of  Our  Lord  from  an  Early  Greek  Papyrus, 
Grenfell  and  Hunt,  London,  1897. 

The  now  well-known  "Logia  of  Christ." 

22.  Zacharias-Apokryphen  und  Zacharias-Legenden,  A.  Be- 

rendts,  Leipsic,  1895. 
An  elaborately  executed  monograph,  which  practically  re- 
stores an  old  apocryphal  text. 

23.  Agrapha,   Aussercanonische   Evangelienfragmente,  Al- 

fred Resch,  Leipsic,  1889. 
An  admirable  and  exhaustive  work  on  this  subject,  the 
substance  of  which  I  have  incorporated  almost  entire. 

24.  Ein  Neues  Evangelienfragment,  Adolf  Jacoby,  Strass- 
burg,  1900. 

A  recently  discovered  fragment  which  I  have  used  in  my 
text. 

25.  Dictionnaire  des  Legendes,   M.  le   Comte  de  Douhet, 

Migne,  Paris,  1855. 
A  curious  compilation  of  legends,  of  considerable  value. 
I  have  used  matter  drawn  from  it  in  both  text  and  notes. 

26.  Le  Livre  des  Legendes,  Le  Roux  de  Lincy,  Paris,  1836. 
Not  of  special  value. 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION 

27.  The  Unknown  Life  of  Christ,  Nicolas  Notovitch,  Lon- 

don, 1895. 
A  modern  romance  to  which  I  refer  in  my  notes. 

28.  The  Antichrist  Legend,  from  the  German  of  W.  Bous- 

set,  with  Prologue  by  A.  H.  Keane,  London,  1896. 
An  exhaustive  rationalistic  study  of  the  subject. 

29.  Pseudepigrapha,  W.  J.  Deane,  Edinburgh,  1891. 

Of  some  value  for  discussion  of  the  Old  Testament  Pseud- 
epigrapha and  especially  the  Sibylline  Books. 

30.  De  Evangeliorum  Apocryphorum  Origine  et  Usu,  C.  de 

Tischendorf,  Hagae  Comitum,  185 1. 
An  essay  of  importance  as  embodying  the  learned  author's 
conclusions  about  the  texts  he  edited. 

31.  Die   Apokryphen    Apostelgeschichten    und   Apostelleg- 

enden,  R.  A.  Lipsius,  3  vols,  and  supplement,  Bruns- 
wick, 1883. 
A  monumental  work,  and  one  to  which  I  am  indebted  for 
much  in  my  notes. 

32.  Entdecktes    Judenthum,   J.    A.    Eisenmenger,    2    vols., 

Konigsberg,  171 1. 
A  remarkable  digest  of  Jewish  works,  furnishing  me  with 
much  material  for  notes. 

33.  The  Gnostics  and  their  Remains,  C.  W.  King,  London, 

1889. 
The  work  is  rather  scrappy,  but  contains  some  matter 
which  I  have  used  in  the  notes. 

34.  The    Nicene   and    Post-Nicene    Fathers,    First    Series, 

Philip  Schafif,  Editor,  14  vols..  New  York,  1892. 

35.  The  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,  Second  Series, 

Philip  Schaff  and  Henry  Wace,  Editors,  14  vols..  New 

York,  1890. 
The  two  series  above  mentioned  contain  the  English  trans- 
lations of  the  writings  of  the  Church  fathers  which  I  have 
mainly  used. 

36.  Bibliotheque  Orientale,   D'Herbelot,   Maestricht,    1776, 

Supplement  by  Visdelou  and  Galand,  Ibid.  1780. 
Contains  much  curious  Oriental  legend  of  which  I  have 
made  some  use. 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES  xxix 

37.  Curious  Myths  of  the  Middle  Ages,  S.  Baring-Gould, 
London,  1901. 
A  valuable  compilation  regarding  some  of  the  chief  me- 
diaeval legends. 

38  Biblische   Legenden    der    Muselmanner,    Dr.    G.    Weil, 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  1845. 
Mainly  devoted  to  Old  Testament  legends,  but  I  have  used 
the  book  extensively  in  my  notes. 

39.  The  Lives  of  the  Saints,  16  vols.,  S.  Baring-Gould,  Lon- 
don, 1872. 

The  best  collection  of  the  lives  of  the  saints  in  English. 
My  notes  are  indebted  to  it  for  many  helps. 

40.  Vies  des  Saints,  par  Une  Societe  d'Ecclesiastiques,  4 

vols.,  Lyons,  1876. 
Of  value  as  giving  the  Roman  tradition  regarding  many 
legendary  points. 

41.  The  Golden  Legend,  Englished  by  William  Caxton,  7 
vols.,  London,  1900. 

This  was  the  most  popular  work  of  the  Middle  Ages,  more 
than  a  hundred  editions  of  it  being  known.  It  is  the  sole 
extant  authority  for  a  number  of  legends. 

42.  Codex  Pseudepigraphus  Veteris  Testamenti,  J.  A.  Fab- 
ricius,  Hamburg  and  Leipsic,  1713.  Do.  Volumen  Al- 
terum,  Hamburg,  1741. 

A  valuable  work,  to  which  I  am  indebted  for  many  notes. 

43.  Legends  of  Old  Testament  Characters,  S.  Baring-Gould, 

London,  1871. 
A    wonderfully    full    account    of    Rabbinical    and    other 
Oriental  legends,  although  by  no  means  exhaustive  as  re- 
gards apocryphal  literature. 

44.  Breviarium  Romanum,  4  vols.,  Malines,  1869. 

The  Breviary  contains  much  that  comes  from  apocryphal 
literature. 

45.  Ancient  Mysteries  Described,  W.  Hone,  London,  1823. 
Not  of  much  value ;  it  reprints  a  few  old  English  miracle 

plays  that  are  connected  with  apocryphal  literature. 


SECTION  III. 

LIST    OF   THE    MAIN    SOURCES    OF   THE    FOLLOWING 

TEXT,  WITH  INTRODUCTORY  MATTER 

REGARDING  EACH. 

The  order  in  which  these  Sources  are  catalogued  is  in  gen- 
eral that  in  which  each  document  is  first  introduced  into  the 
text ;  but  this  rule  has  not  been  strictly  followed  in  all  cases. 
The  numbers  in  parentheses  are  used  for  reference  to  the 
several  Sources,  throughout  this  work ;  the  chapters  in  which 
each  Source  is  used  will  be  found  enumerated  at  the  head  of 
the  introductory  matter  on  each  of  them, 
(i)   Protevangelium  of  James;  chaps.  I-VII,  IX,  XL 

This  is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  oldest  of  the  Apoc- 
ryphal Gospels  of  the  Infancy,  its  only  possible  rival  in  this 
respect  being  the  Thomas  Gospel.  See  (lo),  (12),  (13), 
and  ( 14).  It  was  certainly  used  by  the  compilers  of  all  other 
Gospels  of  the  Infancy,  and  its  influence  on  all  legends  con- 
cerning this  subject  has  been  marked.  The  probability  is 
that  it  was  originally  written  in  Greek,  possibly  by  a  Jewish 
convert  to  Christianity,  and  without  special  theological  bias, 
although  some  have  ascribed  to  it  a  Gnostic  origin.  It  may 
be  as  old,  in  its  original  form,  as  the  middle  of  the  second 
century,  but  the  present  version  does  not  date  earlier  than 
the  fourth.  Origen,  at  the  end  of  the  second  century,  men- 
tions a  Gospel  of  Peter  or  Book  of  James,  which  was  prob- 
ably, but  not  certainly,  this  work.  The  James  of  the  title  is 
usually  referred  to  St.  James  the  Less,  the  Lord's  brother; 
the  name  Protevangelium  is  modern,  and  was  first  applied  to 
the  book  by  Postel,  in  1552.  Tischendorf's  is  the  best  Greek 
text;  he  used  seventeen  Mss.  in  its  preparation,  the  oldest 

(   XXX   ) 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xxxi 

of  them  belonging  to  the  ninth  century.  Enghsh  transla- 
tions by  Jones,  Cowper,  and  Walker. 

(2)  Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew;  chaps.  I-X,  XIL-XIV. 
This  Gospel  is  partly  dependent  on  (i),  its  first  seventeen 

chapters  being  drawn  chiefly  from  that  source ;  chaps. 
XVIII-XXV  are  more  fantastic  and  original,  their  source 
being  unknown ;  chaps.  XXVI-XLII  have  drawn  largely 
from  the  Thomas  Gospels.  The  compilation  probably  dates 
from  the  fifth  century  and  has  a  Greek  original,  although 
only  the  Latin  text  is  now  known.  Most  Mss.  attribute  the 
work  to  St.  Matthew,  and  have  letters  prefixed  pretending  to 
be  by  Jerome  and  others,  which  are  spurious.  The  best  text 
is  Tischendorf's.  English  translations  by  Cowper  and 
Walker. 

(3)  Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary;  chaps.  I-V. 

This  is  essentially  but  a  later  and  considerably  altered  ver- 
sion of  the  foregoing.  It  is  comparatively  modest  and  tem- 
perate in  style,  and  secured  a  wonderful  vogue  in  the  Middle 
Ages.  Most  of  it  is  found  in  the  Golden  Legend.  It  is  of 
Catholic  composition,  written  in  Latin,  somewhere  from  the 
end  of  the  fifth  to  that  of  the  sixth  century.  Best  text, 
Tischendorf's.  English  translations  by  Jones,  Cowper,  and 
Walker. 

(4)  Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin;  chaps. 
I-V. 

A  series  of  Coptic  fragments  published  by  Robinson  with 
English  translations;  I  have  used  the  first  three  of  them. 
They  are  parts  of  sermons,  and  follow  in  general  the  tra- 
dition of  (i)  and  (2),  but  there  are  numerous  and  important 
divergences  from  this.  The  Mss.  reach  back  to  the  eleventh 
or  twelfth  century.  The  translator  does  not  attempt  to  date 
these  fragments,  but  the  fact,  for  instance,  that  in  fragment 
I  the  preacher  expresses  himself  as  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  bodily  assumption  of  Mary,  indicates  a  very 
early  origin. 

(5)  History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter;  chaps.  II-V,  VII-IX, 
XIII,  XIV,  XX. 


xxxii  INTRODUCTION 

Treats  of  the  life  of  St.  Joseph,  and  was  apparently  written 
to  glorify  him,  but  the  problem  of  the  reason  for  the  uni- 
versal reign  of  death  on  earth  seems  to  be  the  main 
inspiration  of  the  book.  It  was  certainly  written  in  Egypt, 
and  although  it  is  possible  that  Greek  was  the  original  lan- 
guage, it  was  more  probably  Coptic.  It  was  first  known  to 
the  Western  world  in  the  Arabic  version,  .from  which  Wallin 
made  a  Latin  translation  in  1722.  See,  further,  (15),  (17), 
(18),  and  (22).  It  is  generally  assigned,  in  its  original  form, 
to  the  fourth  century,  and  was  probably  Catholic  in  origin, 
although  a  connection  with  Nestorianism  has  been  main- 
tained by  some.  Tischendorfs  Latin  translation  compares 
in  foot  notes  the  Sahidic  text  so  far  as  it  was  known  to  him. 
English  versions  by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(6)  Various    Sahidic    Fragments;    chaps.    IV,    V,    XVI- 
XVIII,  XXI,  XXII. 

Five  fragments  on  various  apocryphal  subjects,  all  of 
which  I  have  used,  are  given  by  Robinson.  English  trans- 
lations are  supplied  for  all,  and  the  Coptic  texts  of  I,  II,  and 
V  are  given.  At  least  I  and  V,  and  probably  all  of  these 
fragments,  are  parts  of  sermons;  all  are  of  great  interest, 
introducing  particulars  that  are  not  to  be  found  elsewhere. 

(7)  Protevangelium  of  James,  Syriac  Version;  chaps.  V- 
VII,  IX. 

A  Syriac  fragment  embracing  that  part  of  ( i )  from  chap. 
XVII  to  the  end.  Much  briefer,  and  apparently  more  prim- 
itive than  the  Greek  version,  but  introducing  few  variations 
of  importance,  Syriac  text  and  translation  by  Wright.  He 
dates  the  Nitrian  Ms.  which  he  used,  in  the  latter  half  of  the 
sixth  century. 

(8)  Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy;  chaps.  V-XIII. 

The  longest  and  most  absurd  of  the  Gospels  of  the  Infancy. 
It  is  a  late  compilation  made  up  from  other  Apocryphal  Gos- 
ples,  and  distinguished  by  its  highly  Oriental  coloring.  Chaps. 
MX  are  largely  similar  to  chaps.  XVII-XXV  of  (i); 
chaps.  X-XXV  are  either  original  or  from  some  unknown 
source,  and  agree  notably  with  the  Mohammedan  traditions 
about  Christ,  having  points  of  literary  similarity  with  the 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES         xxxiii 

Arabian  Nights ;  chaps.  XXVI  to  the  end  are  compiled  from 
the  Thomas  Gospel,  but  the  malevolent  element  by  which 
the  latter  is  distinguished  has  been  largely  eliminated.  The 
work  is  known  only  in  Arabic,  and  was  first  given  Euro- 
pean circulation  in  Sike's  edition  published  in  1697.  Words 
found  in  it  point  to  the  original  composition  of  the  work  in 
Syriac,  and  almost  everything  indicates  that  it  first  saw  the 
light  in  Egypt.  This  being  so,  I  should  strongly  suspect  that 
its  original  language  was  Coptic,  but  nothing  to  confirm  this 
conjecture  has  been  discovered.  It  has  been  attributed  to  a 
Nestorian  compiler,  but  was  more  probably  Catholic.  Some 
have  dated  it  as  early  as  the  fifth  or  sixth  century,  but  it  cer- 
tainly cannot  be  older  than  the  tenth  in  its  present  form. 
English  versions  by  Jones,  Cowper,  and  Walker. 

(9)  Narrative  of  Events  happening  in  Persia;  chap.  VI. 
This  is  part  of  an  apocryphal  document,  which  is  attrib- 
uted in  some  Mss.  to  Anastasius  Sinaita ;  Migne,  again,  re- 
fers to  its  ascription  by  others  to  Julius  Africanus ;  it  is  cer- 
tainly not  by  either  of  them.  The  entire  work  is  concerned 
with  a  disputation  before  the  King  of  Persia  by  Christians, 
Greeks,  and  Jews  as  to  the  evidences  for  their  several  re- 
ligions. The  Christians  offer  the  extract  which  I  use,  as  a 
proof  of  the  truth  of  their  religion.  Vassiliev  shows  the 
connection  of  this  narrative  with  the  Ladder  of  Jacob,  which 
has  been  ascribed  to  the  Ebionites,  and  is  partly  incorporated 
in  the  Slavic  Palaea  Interpretata.  It  can  plainly  be  seen  that 
the  narrative  in  its  present  form  is  late  in  date,  but  it  contains 
Gnostic  ideas  of  a  much  greater  antiquity.  Vassiliev  gives 
two  Greek  texts  of  the  work.  An  English  translation  of  the 
extract  I  have  used  is  found  in  the  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  VI, 
127,  seq.  I  have  corrected  this  by  Vassiliev's  texts,  which 
differ  from  it  in  many  instances. 

(10)  Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form;  chaps.  VII-XIII. 
This  Latin  version  of  (12),  which  see  for  general  account 

of  the  Thomas  Gospel,  is  assigned  by  Cowper  to  the  seventh 
century,  or  later.  Its  first  three  chapters  are  not  found  in 
the  other  versions,  and  may  be  either  an  original  composition, 
or  a  fragment  of  some  older  book.  The  text  was  first  pub- 
3 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION 

lished  by  Tischendorf.     English  translations  by  Cowper  and 
Walker. 

( 1 1 )  Narrative  regarding  the  Beheading  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist; chaps.  VII,  IX,  XV,  XVI,  XXXVII. 

This  is  a  Greek  text  printed  by  Vassiliev  from  a  Monte 
Cassino  Ms.  of  the  eleventh  century.  It  claims  to  be  the  life 
of  John  the  Baptist  written  by  Eurippus,  the  second  of  his 
disciples.  The  ecclesiastical  festival  of  the  Decollation  of 
St.  John  Baptist  was  instituted  as  early  as  the  fifth  cent- 
ury, and  this  is  a  Catholic  compilation  made  in  the  East  in 
honour  of  that  festival.  The  document  borrows  several  chap- 
ters from  (i),  and  tells  the  story  of  the  death  of  Herod's 
daughter  which  appears  later  in  the  Golden  Legend.  Eng- 
lish translation  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Kirkpatrick,  of  Marshall,  Mo. 

(12)  Gospel  of  Thomas,   First  Greek  Form;  chaps.   IX- 
XIII. 

This  Gospel  is  probably  as  old  as  ( i ) ,  or  older,  dating  as 
early  as  the  middle  of  the  second  century,  and  was  certainly 
the  product  of  some  school  of  Gnosticism.  Origen  mentions  a 
Gospel  of  Thomas  (see  Section  IV  of  Introduction,  44),  but 
he  probably  did  not  refer  to  this  book.  Hippolytus,  writing 
of  the  Naasenes,  quotes  from  a  Gospel  of  Thomas  used  by 
them,  but  his  citation  is  not  in  the  book  as  it  now  stands. 
Cyril  of  Jerusalem  says  that  the  author  of  this  work  was  one 
Thomas,  a  disciple  of  Manes.  Cowper  is  inclined  to  think 
that  the  book  may  be  the  lost  Gospel  of  Basilides,  or  a  part 
of  it.  The  Gospel,  as  it  stands  at  present,  contains  Gnostic, 
Docetic,  and  Manichaean  traces,  which  have  been  more  or 
less  completely  weeded  out  by  Catholic  editors,  in  different 
recensions  of  the  work,  to  make  it  conform  to  orthodoxy. 
It  was  in  later  times  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  Church,  al- 
though it  was  condemned  by  the  second  council  of  Nice,  in 
787.  Its  most  prominent  characteristic  is  the  malevolent  and 
revengeful  character  which  it  ascribes  to  the  infant  Saviour. 
The  First  Greek  Form  was  the  text  first  known  to  the  West, 
and  was  published  by  Mingarelli  in  1764.  The  best  Greek 
text  is  by  Tischendorf.  English  translations  by  Jones,  Cow- 
per, and  Walker. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xxxv 

(13)  Gospel  of  Thomas,  Second  Greek  Form;  chaps.  IX- 
XII. 

Thjs  version  was  first  pubHshed  by  Tischendorf,  who  got 
the  Ms.  on  paper,  and  dating  from  the  fourteenth  or  fifteenth 
century,  from  the  monks  of  INIount  Sinai.  It  is  more  ortho- 
dox in  form  than  (12),  and  differs  from  it  considerably,  both 
in  the  way  of  additions  and  omissions. 

(14)  Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form;  chaps.  IX-XIII. 
This  ancient  form  of  the  Thomas  Gospel,  called  in  the  Ms. 

the  "Boyhood  of  Our  Lord  Jesus,"  is  from  a  Syriac  text  of 
the  sixth  century  first  printed  by  Wright.  Cowper  calls  it  the 
most  ancient  form  of  this  document  extant.  It  is  very  much 
shorter  than  the  other  versions,  but  contains  some  additional 
sentences. 

(15)  History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Bohairic  Version; 
chaps.  XIII,  XIV,  XX. 

This  Coptic  form  of  (5),  Robinson  translates  into  English 
from  the  text  published  by  Lagarde.  He  seems  inclined  to 
the  opinion  that  it  originated  in  a  translation  of  the  Sahidic 
versions.  It  is  verbally  widely  different  from  (5),  but  con- 
tains no  important  variations. 

(16)  Fragments  of  Lost  Documents;  chaps.  XV,  XIX. 

I  refer  especially  to  these  chapters  on  account  of  the  un- 
usually large  number  of  such  fragments  contained  in  them ; 
but  many  others  are  to  be  found  scattered  throughout  the 
work.  A  list  of  titles  of  lost  and  fragmentary  Gospels,  with 
brief  accounts  of  what  is  known  of  them,  will  be  found  in  the 
following  section  of  this  Introduction ;  and  Section  V  con- 
tains a  list  of  all  the  authors  who  quote  these  fragments,  with 
the  dates  of  each. 

(17)  Flistory  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Fragments, 
II;  chap.  XIIL 

Robinson  prints  the  Coptic  text  and  English  translation  of 
this  version,  which  contains  only  chaps.  XIII-XV  of  (5). 
He  considers  the  Sahidic  texts  to  contain  the  oldest  form  of 
this  document. 

(18)  History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Fragments, 
III ;  chaps.  XIII,  XIV. 


xxxvi  INTRODUCTION 

Robinson  prints  only  the  English  translation  of  this  from 
the  Coptic  text  given  by  Lagarde.  The  fragment  contains 
chaps.  XIV-XXIV  of  (5). 

(19)  How  Jesus  Christ  was  made  a  Priest;  chap.  XV. 
This  is  an  apocryphal  fragment  found  in  the  Lexicon  of 

Suidas,  who  lived  at  Constantinople  near  the  end  of  the  tenth 
century.  The  fragment  appears  in  this  lexicon  under  the 
title,  "Jesus."  It  is  evidently  a  Gnostic  or  Manichaean  pro- 
duction, and  its  author  was  certainly  acquainted  with  (i). 
Greek  texts  of  it  have  been  many  times  printed ;  Vassiliev 
gives  three  of  them,  and  my  English  translation  is  made  from 
a  comparison  of  these. 

(20)  Acts  of  John;  chaps.  XV,  XVII,  XXI,  XXIII. 

The  Greek  text  and  English  translation  of  this  book,  which 
is  fragmentary  as  at  present  known,  are  published  by  James 
in  Apocrypha  Anecdota,  II ;  I  have  used  only  the  parts  of 
these  fragments  that  were  suitable  for  my  purpose.  The 
work  is  generally  attributed  to  Leucius  Charinus,  which 
would  make  it  date  as  early  as  the  second  half  of  the  second 
century;  Zahn  would  go  further  and  make  this  man  a  con- 
temporary of  the  apostles.  The  book  is  Gnostic  and  spe- 
cifically Docetic.  It  may  be  regarded  as  a  pure  romance, 
yet  is  of  great  interest  on  account  of  its  connection  with  the 
problems  concerning  St.  John's  Gospel  and  other  questions 
connected  with  the  early  history  of  the  Church.  M.  Max 
Bonnet  has  in  preparation  a  more  complete  edition  of  all  the 
fragments  of  this  work. 

(21)  Letter  of  Lentulus;  chap.  XV. 

Although  this  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  of  apoc- 
ryphal documents,  and  has  appeared  in  nearly  all  collections 
of  such,  it  scarcely  deserves  inclusion  in  this  category.  It  is 
in  reality  a  mediaeval  Latin  composition  of  date  not  earlier 
than  the  fifteenth  century,  and  no  AIs.  of  it  is  known.  Sug- 
gestions as  to  whence  it  was  compiled  will  be  found  in  the 
notes  near  the  end  of  chap.  XV.  English  translations  by 
Jones  and  Cowper. 

(22)  History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Fragments, 
I ;  chaps.  III-V. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES         xxxvii 

Robinson  prints  the  Coptic  text  and  English  translation  of 
this  version,  which  contains  only  chaps.  IV^-VIII  of  (5), 

(23)  Acts  of  Andrew  and  Matthias;  chap.  XVI. 

These  are  Apocryphal  Acts  generally  assigned  to  a  Gnostic 
origin,  and  often  attributed  to  Leucius  Charinus ;  if  his,  they 
are  very  early  in  date.  The  oldest  Ms.  used  by  Tischendorf 
in  the  preparation  of  his  critical  Greek  text,  dates  from  the 
eighth  century ;  English  translation  by  Walker,  from  which 
I  have  departed  in  a  few  particulars.  The  passage  regard- 
ing Christ  and  the  Sphinx,  which  alone  I  have  used  in  my 
text,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  main  theme  of  this  docu- 
ment, but  has  every  appearance  of  being  a  fragment  from 
some  Gnostic  Gospel,  inserted  here. 

(24)  Story  of  V'eronica;  chaps.  XV,  XVI. 

An  apocryphal  fragment  given  by  John  Malela  in  his 
Chronicle.  He  says  that  he  took  it  from  a  book  owned  by 
a  Christian  Jew  named  Bassus.  I  believe  it  to  be  of  Gnostic 
origin.  Other  relations  of  the  Veronica  story  are  discussed 
in  the  notes  on  chap.  XVI.  I  have  used  the  English  version 
of  Cowper,  which  is,  I  suppose,  his  translation  of  Malela's 
Greek. 

(25)  History  of  Armenia  by   Moses  of  Chorene ;  chaps. 
XVII,  XXXV,  XXXVI. 

This  entire  work  chronicles  the  history  of  Armenia  from 
the  earliest  times  to  440  a.  d.,  and  was  probably  written  not 
long  after  that  date.  It  contains  some  historical  matter  of 
importance,  but  many  legends ;  and  the  parts  which  I  have 
used  in  my  text  are  palpably  apocryphal.  Moses  certainly 
used  the  Church  History  of  Eusebius,  and  the  Acts  of  Thad- 
daeus,  which  relate  the  same  legends.  The  Armenian  text 
and  a  French  translation  have  been  published  by  P.  E.  Le 
Vaillant  de  Florival.  I  have  used  English  translations  of 
parts  of  the  work  found  in  the  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  VIII, 
702,  seq. 

(26)  Story  concerning  the  King  of  Edessa,  by  Eusebius; 
chap.  XVII. 

This  story  is  found  in  Book  I,  chap,  xiii,  of  the  Church 
History  of  Eusebius  of  Caesarea.     The  historian  claims  that 


xxxviii  INTRODUCTION 

he  had  himself  seen  the  letters  of  Christ  and  Abgar  in  the 
archives  of  Edessa.  If  this  is  true,  which  it  probably  is,  he 
saw  apocryphal  documents  that  according  to  the  best  opinion 
now  prevalent  were  likely  forged  about  a  century  before  that 
time.  The  Greek  text  of  Eusebius  has  been  many  times 
printed,  and  there  are  numerous  English  translations. 
{2^)  Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostle  Thaddaeus;  chap.  XVII. 

Tischendorf  first  printed  this  Greek  text  from  a  Paris  Ms. 
of  the  eleventh  century  and  a  Venetian  one  of  later  date. 
Allusions  in  the  document  to  the  synagogue.  Sabbath,  hours 
of  prayer,  etc.,  lend  probability  to  the  view  that  it  was  writ- 
ten by  a  Jewish  Christian.  It  gives  a  later  version  of  the 
Abgar  letters,  and  may  date  from  the  sixth  or  seventh  cent- 
ury.    English  translation  by  Walker. 

(28)  Account  of  the  Birth  of  John  and  Death  of  Zacharias; 
chaps.  VII-IX. 

Berendts  prints  a  German  translation  of  this  Slavic  docu- 
ment, which  probably  represents  an  ancient  apocryphal  text 
of  Gnostic  origin.  Its  author  was  certainly  acquainted  with 
the  matter  contained  in  (11),  but  presents  several  ideas  which 
I  have  never  seen  elsewhere.  See  Berendts,  p.  70,  seq.  His 
references  to  parallel  literature  are  very  minute  and  exhaust- 
ive. I  have  made  use  of  his  German  for  my  English  version, 
which  is  incorporated  partly  with  my  text,  and  is  partly  given 
in  the  notes. 

(29)  Mohammedan  Legends;  chaps.  XVII,  XVIII,  XX. 
Mohammedanism  is,  in  my  opinion,  more  properly  to  be 

regarded  as  a  Christian  heresy  than  as  a  Jewish  one ;  and  is 
rather  to  be  ranked  as  one  or  other  of  these,  than  as  a  dis- 
tinct religion.  It  presents  its  own  peculiar  view  of  every 
Christian  doctrine  or  usage,  and  nowhere  departs  as  radically 
from  Catholic  standards  as  did  many  of  the  early  Gnostic 
sects,  or  as  does,  for  instance,  the  IMormonism  of  the  present 
time.  Yet  these  religions  that  I  have  named  are  universally 
regarded  as  having  their  proper  places  in  a  survey  of  histor- 
ical Christianity.  Consideration  of  Mohammedan  legends 
holds,  therefore,  an  indispensable  place  in  an  attempt  to  draw 
from  all  the  alleged  sources  regarding  Christ's  Life  and 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xxxix 

Words.  I  only  regret  that  I  have  had  time  and  opportunity 
to  make  no  more  thorough  search  through  the  Alohammedan 
legends,  and  believe  that  one  who  did  so  would  be  richly- 
rewarded.  Under  the  above  heading,  references  are  made 
to  three  of  my  chapters  in  which  such  material  especially 
abounds.  Isolated  brief  passages  and  references  in  notes  to 
legends  and  views  from  Mohammedan  sources,  will  be  found 
throughout  the  work.  I  only  add  here  a  brief  mention  of 
the  Koran ;  other  sources  are  generally  accompanied  by  ex- 
planatory matter  in  the  notes  : 

The  Koran  dates  from  about  622  a.  d.  Mohammed  cer- 
tainly knew  nothing  of  the  canonical  New  Testament,  but 
drew  largely  from  material  identical  with  that  we  have  in 
some  of  the  Apocryphal  Gospels.  The  agreement  of  his  bor- 
rowings is  closest  with  (8),  as  we  now  have  it ;  but  he  prob- 
ably used,  in  some  manner,  documents  that  are  now  lost. 
The  story  that  he  had  the  assistance  of  one  Sergius.  a  Nesto- 
rian  monk,  does  not  have  much  external  evidence  in  its 
favour,  but  agrees  well  with  the  contents  of  the  Koran  and 
the  indications  of  extant  apocryphal  literature. 

(30)  The  Church  Fathers  and  Other  Writers;  chaps.  XV, 
XIX. 

I  refer  especially  only  to  these  two  chapters,  which  contain 
an  unusual  number  of  citations  from  these  sources ;  but  a 
greater  or  less  number  of  such  passages  will  be  found 
throughout  the  book.  Limitations  of  space  absolutely  forbid 
the  attempt  to  give  any  account  of  these  authors  and  their 
works,  but  I  append  in  Section  V  of  this  Introduction  a  list 
of  the  principal  ones,  with  their  dates,  which  may  aid  the 
reader  in  estimating  the  value  of  their  traditions  and  opin- 
ions. 

(31)  Teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  to  His  Disciples ;  chap.  XX. 
A  very  late  Ethiopic  composition,  of  which  ]\I.  Rene  Basset 

has  made  a  French  translation,  whence  my  English  is  drawn. 
The  document  is  mainly  made  up  of  magical  prayers,  but  the 
portion  of  it  at  the  beginning,  which  I  have  used,  has  the  true 
apocryphal  character,  and  plain  marks  of  Gnostic  origin. 
The  earliest  Mss.  of  which  M.  Basset  knows,  date  only  from 


xl  INTRODUCTION 

the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  he  does  not 
venture  to  place  any  of  the  prayers  more  than  two  hundred 
years  earHer  than  that.  But  the  substance  of  much  of  the 
matter  in  the  book  is  ancient,  connecting  itself  with  Gnosti- 
cism and  the  old  religion  of  Egypt. 

(32)  Passing  of  Mary,  First  Latin  Form;  chap.  XX. 
This  is  one  version  of  the  story  of  Mary's  Assumption, 

which  exists  in  almost  numberless  forms  in  Syriac,  Arabic, 
Bohairic,  Sahidic,  Greek,  Latin,  and  probably  many  other 
languages.  I  use  only  a  brief  extract  from  its  beginning. 
The  work,  in  general,  of  which  Greek  is  probably  the  original 
language,  is  assigned  by  Tischendorf  to  a  date  not  later  than 
the  fourth  century.  It  has,  but  probably  without  due  reason, 
been  ascribed  to  the  fertile  pen  of  Leucius  Charinus.  The 
First  Latin  Form  is  much  later  than  the  date  above  men- 
tioned. Tischendorf,  who  first  printed  this  version,  used 
for  the  preparation  of  his  text  three  Italian  Mss.,the  oldest 
of  them  dating  from  the  thirteenth  century.  English  ver- 
sion by  Walker.     See  also  (42),  (43),  and  (44). 

(33)  Questions    of   Bartholomew;    chaps.    XXI,    XXVIII, 
XXIX,  XXXI,  XXXIL 

This  is  an  Apocryphal  Apocalypse  pretending  to  tell  the 
events  of  the  Great  Forty  Days  after  the  Resurrection,  the 
Greek  text  of  which  was  first  printed  by  Vassiliev  from  a 
Vienna  Ms.  of  the  thirteenth  century.  It  is  imperfect  at  the 
beginning,  but  the  editor  supplies  this  part  in  his  preface  by 
a  Latin  translation  of  a  Slavonic  version  of  the  document. 
My  English  translation  was  made  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Kirkpatrick, 
of  Marshall,  Mo. ;  the  text  is  very  corrupt.  Tischendorf,  in 
his  prolegomena  to  Apocalypses  Apocryphae,  gives  a  frag- 
ment of  an  Apocalypse  of  Bartholomew,  which  dififers  en- 
tirely from  this  book,  but  certainly  has  the  same  general 
character;  I  think  that  there  must  be  some  connection  be- 
tween the  two.  The  present  work  draws  from  several  of 
the  known  apocryphal  documents,  but  has  some  points  of 
complete  originality.  See  notes  on  chaps.  XXXI,  XXXII. 
It  seems  to  me  to  have  most  marks  of  Manichaean  origin. 
James  speaks  of  it  as  an  interesting  book,  and  says  that 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xli 

though  the  language  is  late,  the  matter  is  undoubtedly  an- 
cient. Vassiliev  seems  to  suggest  a  date  later  than  the  sixth 
century. 

(34)  Controversy  of  the  Devil  with  Jesus  Christ,  A;  chap. 
XXL 

•  Vassiliev  prints  the  Greek  text  of  this  apocalyptic  docu- 
ment from  a  Venetian  Ms.  of  the  twelfth  century.  Besides 
(35),  which  see,  other  Mss.  of  the  work  are  known.  My 
English  translation  is  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Kirkpatrick,  of  Marshall, 
Mo.  The  book  is  of  Manichaean  origin,  and  contains  a 
great  deal  of  matter  in  common  with  the  late  apocryphal 
Apocalypse  of  John.  See  Tischendorf,  Apocalypses  Apoc- 
ryphae,  70,  seq. ;  and  Thilo,  884,  seq.,  for  account  of  still 
another  book  under  St.  John's  name  and  having  relations 
with  this.     The  date  is,  of  course,  late. 

(35)  Controversy  of  the  Devil  with  Jesus  Christ,  B;  chap. 
XXI. 

This  is  another  text  of  the  foregoing,  printed  by  Vassiliev 
from  a  Vienna  Ms.  of  the  thirteenth  century,  which  is  im- 
perfect at  the  beginning.  The  arrangement  of  the  matter  is 
somewhat  different  from  that  in  (34),  the  texts  of  both  being 
very  corrupt.  English  translation  by  Mr,  J.  J.  Kirkpatrick, 
of  Marshall,  Mo. 

(36)  Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea;  chaps.  XXII, 
XXIII,  XXVI,  XXVII,  XXX. 

An  early  Western  mediaeval  legend  or  romance  founded 
mainly  on  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  and  greatly  elaborating 
certain  parts  of  that.  The  Greek  text  was  first  published  by 
Birch.  Tischendorf,  for  his  text,  made  use  of  three  Mss., 
the  oldest  of  them  dating  from  the  twelfth  century.  English 
translations  by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

{2,7)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Acts  of  Pilate,  First 
Greek  Form;  chaps.  XXII-XXVII,  XXX,  XXXIII, 
XXXIV. 

The  Acts  of  Pilate,  or  Part  I  of  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus, 
a  name  which  does  not  appear  before  the  thirteenth  century, 
is  the  one  great  Apocryphal  Gospel  of  the  Passion.  Some 
consider  Part  II  to  be  an  integral  part  of  the  work  written  by 


xlii  INTRODUCTION 

the  same  author,  but  the  best  opinion  is  that  the  two  are  en- 
tirely different  in  origin ;  the  most  ancient  copies  of  the 
work,  which  are  in  Latin  and  Coptic,  do  not  contain  the 
second  part.  Justin  Martyr,  and  later,  TertulHan,  mention 
a  book  called  the  Acts  of  Pilate,  which  certainly  was  not  the 
present  one,  although  the  latter  may  have  been  fabricated  to 
supply  the  loss  of  the  earlier  work.  But  Tischendorf  thinks 
that  the  present  book  is  in  reality  Justin's  Acts  greatly 
changed  and  interpolated.  Some  copies  of  the  book  claim 
that  it  was  originally  written  in  Hebrew  by  Nicodemus,  and 
translated  into  Greek  by  a  certain  Ananias,  in  the  time  of 
Theodosius  and  Valentinian  (/.  e.,  about  440  a.  d.).  If  it 
really  had  contained  the  genuine  Acts  of  Pilate,  the  original 
of  this  book  would  have  been  in  Latin ;  but  the  best  indica- 
tions are  to  the  effect  that  it  was  first  written  in  Greek. 
Tischendorf  assigns  it  to  the  latter  part  of  the  second  cent- 
ury, and  concludes  that  its  author  was  a  Christian  imbued 
with  Judaic  and  Gnostic  beliefs.  Cowper,  however,  and 
most  authorities  agree  with  him,  assigns  the  present  Greek 
text  to  the  fifth  century,  and  doubts  whether  any  form  of  the 
book  originated  earlier.  His  conclusion  is  that  it  was  written 
in  Greek  by  a  converted  Jew  who  was  acquainted  with  He- 
brew. The  substance  of  this  document  is  mainly  drawn 
from  the  four  canonical  Gospels.  The  Greek  text  was  first 
published  by  Birch.  Tischendorf  vised  thirty-nine  ancient 
documents  for  his  edition.  English  translations  of  the  First 
Greek  Form  by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(38)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Acts  of  Pilate,  Second 
Greek  Form;  chaps.  XXII-XXVII,  XXX,  XXXIII, 
XXXIV. 

This  version  is  only  a  loose  copy  of  the  foregoing,  but* 
many  minor  details  have  been  altered,  names  have  been 
changed,  and  the  Greek  has  been  improved.  Tischendorf 
used  three  Mss.  in  the  preparation  of  his  text.  English 
translations  by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(39)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Acts  of  Pilate,  Latin 
Form  ;  Chaps.  XXII-XXVII,  XXX,  XXXIII,  XXXIV. 

This  Latin  text  was  the  first  edition  of  Nicodemus  pub- 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xliii 

lished  in  modern  times  by  Fabricius  and  others.  Tischen- 
dorf  used  twelve  Mss.  for  his  edition.  EngHsh  translations 
by  Jones,  Cowper,  and  Walker. 

(40)  Gospel  of  Peter;  chap.  XXV-XXVII,  XXX. 

This  document,  as  known  at  present,  consists  of  a  consid- 
erable fragment  from  the  close  of  the  ancient  Gospel  of  Peter. 
Such  a  work  is  mentioned  by  Serapion,  Bishop  of  Antioch 
(190-203  A.  D.),  by  Origen,  Eusebius,  and  Theodoret;  and 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  recovered  fragment  is  part 
of  the  book  of  which  they  spoke,  its  teachings  being  Docetic 
and  corresponding  perfectly  to  their  descriptions.  The  same 
parchment  Ms.  of  which  this  formed  a  part  also  contained 
fragments  of  the  Revelation  of  Peter,  and  of  the  Book  of 
Enoch ;  it  was  found  by  the  French  archaeological  mission 
in  an  ancient  cemetery  at  Akhmim  in  Upper  Egypt,  in  1886. 
The  parchment  is  assigned  to  a  date  between  the  eighth  and 
twelfth  centuries.  Harnack  assigns  this  Gospel  to  the  first 
quarter  of  the  second  century,  and  whilst  others  place  it  later, 
few  date  it  after  the  end  of  that  century,  English  transla- 
tions of  the  Greek  by  Robinson  and  Harrison. 

(41)  Council  concerning  Jesus;  chap.  XXII. 

Fabricius  prints  this  fragment  in  German,  in  vol.  Ill,  487, 
from  which  my  English  translation  is  made.  The  document 
is,  of  course,  a  late  mediaeval  composition,  and  is  not  prop- 
erly to  be  ranked  with  apocryphal  writings.  Nevertheless, 
I  regard  it  as  of  enough  interest  to  be  reprinted.  The  Sen- 
tence of  Pilate,  (51),  is  included  in  the  same  document,  and 
the  whole  narrative  is  introduced  with  the  explanation  that 
it  was  accidentally  found  in  a  marble  coffer  under  a  stone, 
whilst  alterations  were  being  made  to  a  building  in  the  Nea- 
politan city  of  Aquila.  This  story  is  a  later  adaptation  of 
what  is  told  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revelation  of  Paul,  and 
perhaps,  in  other  similar  documents. 

(42)  Bohairic  Accounts  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of  Mary,  I; 
chaps.  XV,  XXII. 

See  (32).  The  Coptic  text  of  this  is  given  by  Lagarde, 
and  English  translation  by  Robinson.  The  document  is  in 
the  form  of  a  sermon  claiming  to  be  by  Evodius,  who  is 


xliv  INTRODUCTION 

represented  as  St.  Peter's  successor  in  the  see  of  Rome  in- 
stead of  Antioch.  The  apocryphal  stories  which  I  have  used 
from  this  document  have  no  connection  with  the  Assumption 
legend,  which  forms  the  main  part  of  the  book. 

(43)  Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of  Mary; 
chap.  XXVI. 

See  (32).  I  have  used  only  a  small  part  of  fragment  II 
in  this  collection,  and  it  has  no  necessary  connection  with  the 
Assumption  legend.  Both  Coptic  text  and  English  transla- 
tion are  given  by  Robinson. 

(44)  Bohairic  Accounts  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of  Mary,  II; 
chap.  XXXIII. 

Robinson  gives  both  the  Coptic  text  and  English  transla- 
tion. The  work  represents  itself  to  be  a  discourse  of  Theo- 
dosius,  Archbishop  of  Alexandria.  He  is  probably  the 
Jacobite  Patriarch  of  that  see  who  died  about  567  a.  d.  The 
part  I  have  used  has  no  close  connection  with  the  Assumption 
legend. 

(45)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Descent  of  Christ  into 
Hell,  Greek  Form;  chaps.  XXVII-XXIX,  XXXIV. 

The  Descent  of  Christ  into  Hell,  or  Part  II  of  the  Gospel 
of  Nicodemus,  is  in  my  opinion  the  work  of  a  different 
author,  and  evinces  much  more  originality  and  literary  art 
than  Part  I.  The  signs  of  Gnostic  origin  are  evident  in 
many  ways.  The  Marcionites  placed  great  stress  upon  the 
fact  of  the  Saviour's  Descent  into  Hell.  I  incline  to  the 
opinion,  broached  long  ago  by  Jones,  that  the  curious  use  of 
the  names  Leucius  and  Charinus,  designating  the  two  sons 
of  Simeon,  points  to  the  famous  Leucius  Charinus  as  the 
author  of  this  book.  If  this  is  the  case,  it  is  earlier  than  Part 
I,  and  dates  before  the  middle  of  the  second  century.  Cow- 
per,  however,  puts  it  later  than  Part  I.  Tischendorf  main- 
tains the  early  date  of  both  Parts.  Tischendorf  used  three 
Mss.  for  his  version  of  the  Greek  Form.  English  transla- 
tions by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(46)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Descent  of  Christ  into 
Hell,  First  Latin  Form;  chaps.  XXVII-XXIX, 
XXXIV,  XXXV. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xlv 

This  version  is  notable  for  the  addition  of  a  large  amount 
of  matter  near  the  end,  and  it  concludes  with  a  copy  of  the 
letter  from  Pilate  to  the  Emperor.  Tischendorf  used  a  large 
number  of  Mss.  for  his  text.  English  translations  by 
Cowper  and  Walker. 

(47)  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Descent  of  Christ  into 
Hell,  Second  Latin  Form;  chaps.  XXVII-XXIX, 
XXXIV. 

Cowper  calls  this  a  more  modern  recension  of  the  fore- 
going, and  thinks  from  the  reference  to  abbats  (i.  e.  fathers) 
raised  from  the  dead  with  Christ,  that  its  editor  was  a  monk. 
Much  at  the  end  of  the  book  has  been  cut  out,  and  slight 
changes  have  been  everywhere  introduced.  English  trans- 
lations by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(48)  Report  of  Pilate  concerning  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
First  Greek  Form ;  chaps.  XXVII,  XXXV. 

This  is  a  pretended  official  report  of  Pilate  to  the  Emperor, 
and  was  first  printed  by  Fabricius.  It  is  closely  connected 
with  the  Nicodemus  Gospel.  Tischendorf  has  made  use  of 
four  Mss.  for  his  text  of  this  version,  the  earliest  being  from 
the  twelfth  century.  Cowper  suggests  a  ninth  century  date 
for  the  work.  English  translations  by  Cowper  and  Hollo- 
way. 

(49)  Report  of  Pilate  concerning  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
Second  Greek  Form ;  chaps.  XXVII,  XXXV. 

A  slightly  different  Greek  text  of  the  foregoing  made  by 
Tischendorf  from  Mss.  of  about  the  same  date.  English 
translations  by  Cowper  and  Walker. 

(50)  Legends;  chaps.  XXV,  XXVII. 

As  I  have  already  said  in  my  Preface,  no  complete  aistinc- 
tion  between  apocryphal,  legendary,  and  heretical  sources  of 
the  extra-canonical  literature  is  possible.  My  view  is,  that 
in  the  main,  the  material  in  this  book  had  its  origin  in  heret- 
ical versions  of,  glosses  on,  and  fabrications  concerning  the 
canonical  scriptures.  The  next  step  was  the  reception  of 
much  of  this  matter  by  the  Catholic  Church  after  certain  of 
its  heretical  elements  had  been  purged.  The  last  step  was 
the  later  legendary  adornment  of  stories  which  the  Church 


xlvi  INTRODUCTION 

sanctioned,  or  at  least  did  not  brand  as  heretical.  Some 
legends,  however,  are  purely  literary  or  local  in  their  origin. 
But  in  accordance  with  the  general  law  which  I  have  laid 
down  above,  it  follows  that  many  of  the  stories  that  are 
known  to  us  only  in  the  form  of  late  mediaeval  legends,  are 
most  probably  derived  from  earlier  apocryphal  sources  that 
have  long  since  perished.  I  have  embodied  a  good  deal  of 
legendary  matter  in  this  book,  although  I  only  specially  refer 
to  two  chapters  very  largely  composed  of  this  material.  In 
most  other  places  I  have  consigned  it  to  the  notes.  I  have, 
however,  entirely  excluded  from  the  text  legendary  matter 
that  is  palpably  of  later  than  early  mediaeval  date,  and  of 
distinctly  Roman  Catholic  origin.  The  notes  explain  the 
sources  of  all  legends  given.  It  is  necessary  here  to  refer  to 
only  one  great  work : 

The  Golden  Legend,  Legenda  Aurea,  or  by  its  proper  title, 
the  Historia  Lombardica,  was  compiled  by  Jacobus  de  Vora- 
gine.  Archbishop  of  Genoa,  about  1275.  Dealing  with  the 
Lives  of  the  Saints  and  the  festivals  kept  in  the  course  of  the 
Church  year,  it  drew  largely  from  the  Apocryphal  Gospels, 
as  well  as  other  sources,  and  contains  refractions  from  some 
works  of  this  class,  no  doubt,  that  are  not  now  extant.  The 
original  is  in  Latin,  and  the  best  text  is  by  Dr.  Th.  Grasse, 
Dresden,  1846.  I  have  used  a  recent  reprint  of  the  venerable 
English  edition  of  William  Caxton,  made  about  1483. 

(51)  Sentence  of  Pilate;  chap.  XXV. 

See  (41)  for  account  of  the  origin  of  this  document. 
Other  alleged  sentences  of  Pilate  are  referred  to  in  the  notes 
on  chap.  XXV. 

(52)  Apocalypse  of  Peter;  chap.  XXXII. 

For  account  of  the  discovery  of  this  fragment  along  with 
(40),  see  introduction  to  that  document.  Such  an  apoca- 
lypse is  mentioned  by  the  Muratorian  Fragment,  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  the  Catalogus  Cleromontanus,  Methodius,  Eu- 
sebius,  and  many  later  writers,  but  was  unknown  in  modern 
times  until  this  recent  discovery.  The  work  was  certainly 
produced  as  early  as  the  first  half  of  the  second  century. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xlvii 

the  ]\Is.  of  another  much  later  Apocalypse  of  Peter  in  Ara- 
bic is  known  to  exist  in  Rome,  but  it  has  no  connection  with 
the  present  work.  My  English  translation  is  by  Rutherford 
from  the  Greek  text  edited  by  Harnack.  For  observations 
on  the  character  of  this  work,  see  notes  on  chap.  XXXII. 

(53)  Pistis  Sophia,  or  Faith- Wisdom ;  chap.  XXXII. 

This  is  notable  as  being  the  only  reasonably  complete  ex- 
ample of  the  innumerable  Gnostic  works  produced  in  the 
early  centuries  which  has  come  down  to  us  unaltered.  I 
have  used  from  it  only  a  comparatively  brief  passage  which 
occurs  near  its  end.  The  entire  book  professes  to  contain 
revelations  delivered  by  Christ  to  His  disciples,  during  the 
Saviour's  eleven  years'  abode  upon  earth  after  His  Ascen- 
sion. The  most  of  its  contents  would  not  only  be  inappro- 
priate in  my  work,  but  would  be  absolutely  unintelligible  to 
the  average  reader,  appearing,  indeed,  rather  like  the  fancies 
of  a  disordered  intellect.  The  Coptic  text  with  Latin  trans- 
lation was  published  by  Petermann  in  1851.  An  English 
translation,  made  from  the  Latin,  is  published  by  the  Theo- 
sophical  Publishing  Society,  of  New  York ;  but  I  have  not 
seen  this,  and  have  used  the  French  translation  found  in 
Migne,  I,  col.  1191,  seq.  At  first  attributed  to  Valentinus 
by  modern  scholars,  this  work  is  now  believed  to  be  a  later 
production  of  the  Ophite  school  of  Gnosticism,  and  is  as- 
signed to  about  the  middle  of  the  third  century. 

(54)  Conflict  of  St.  Thomas;  chap.  XXXII. 

This  is  Malan's  translation  of  an  Ethiopic  text,  reprinted 
by  James  in  Apocrypha  Anecdota,  II.  I  have  used  but  a 
small  fragment  from  the  beginning  of  the  work.  The  Thomas 
Acts  of  the  same  general  type  now  exist  in  manifold  forms 
and  many  languages,  being  assigned  in  substance  to  a  very 
early  date,  the  second,  or  even  first  century.  Photius  attrib- 
utes the  authorship  of  this  book  to  Leucius  Charinus.  The 
original  is  supposed  to  have  been  Greek,  and  its  inspiration 
Gnostic. 

(55)  Teaching  of  the  Apostles,  Syriac;  chap.  XXXIII. 


xlviii  INTRODUCTION 

This  is  translated  by  Pratten  from  a  Syriac  Ms.  of  the 
fifth  century.  The  matter,  however,  is  very  much  older  than 
that,  being  connected  with  the  Apostolic  Constitutions  dating 
from  about  the  end  of  the  third  century,  and  even  older  lit- 
erature in  this  department.  I  have  used  but  a  small  portion 
from  the  beginning  of  this  work. 

(56)  Letter  of  Pontius  Pilate;  chap.  XXXV. 
Tischendorf  formed  his  Latin  text  of  this   from   four 

sources,  all  of  them  quite  late.     See  (57),  for  account  of  an 
older  version.     English  translation  by  Walker. 

(57)  Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostles   Peter  and   Paul;  chap. 
XXXV. 

I  refer  to  this  work  because  it  also  contains  a  copy  of  (56). 
The  work  as  a  whole  contains  some  matter  of  early  date,  but 
in  its  present  form  is  supposed  to  be  late.  For  his  Greek 
text,  Tischendorf  used  six  Mss.,  the  oldest  dating  from  the 
end  of  the  ninth  century.     English  translation  by  Walker. 

(58)  Teaching    of    Addaeus    the    Apostle;    chaps.  XXV, 
XXXVI. 

I  have  used  from  this  some  of  the  matter  found  also  in 
(25),  which  compare.  English  translation  by  Pratten  from 
a  Syriac  Ms.  dating  not  later  than  the  beginning  of  the  fifth 
century.  It  contains  a  full  account  of  the  conversion  of 
Abgar  and  his  people. 

(59)  Epistles  of  Herod  and  Pilate,  Syriac  Form;  chaps. 
XXXV,  XXXVII. 

The  Syriac  text  is  published  by  Wright  from  a  Ms.  of  the 
sixth  or  seventh  century.  The  original  language  was  Greek ; 
see  (65).  English  translations  by  Cowper  and  Wright. 
The  letters  are  followed  in  the  Ms.  by  an  alleged  extract 
from  a  writer,  whom  Cowper  thinks  is  meant  for  Justus  of 
Tiberias.  I  have  not  used  this,  or  another  brief  extract  from 
Josephus,  which  is  appended.  Cowper  thinks  the  letters  may 
date  from  about  400  a.  d. 

(60)  Epistle    of    Tiberius    to    Pilate;    chaps.    XXXVI, 

xxxvin. 


ACCOUNT  OF  MAIN  SOURCES  xlix 

James  publishes  the  Greek  of  this,  which  he  has  recon- 
structed from  a  comparison  of  texts  eariier  printed  by  Birch 
and  Fleck.  My  English  translation  is  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Kirk- 
patrick,  of  IMarshall,  Mo.  James  speaks  of  this  as  a  late 
Western  document,  and  calls  it  a  Greek  Vengeance  of  the 
Saviour.  It  is  largely  a  compilation  of  legends. 
(6i)  Departure  of  Marath  Mary  from  -the  World;  chap. 
XXXV. 

This  is  an  apocryphal  Syriac  work  on  the  Virgin,  dating 
from  the  fifth  or  sixth  century.  English  translation  by 
Pratten.  I  have  used  its  version  of  a  letter  from  Abgar  to 
Tiberius. 

(62)  Giving    Up    of    Pontius    Pilate;    chaps.    XXXVI, 
XXXVIII. 

The  Greek  text  of  this  was  first  published  by  Birch. 
Tischendorf  makes  use  of  five  Mss.,  the  earliest  of  the 
twelfth  century,  in  the  preparation  of  his  text.  English 
translations  by  Cowper  and  Walker.  This  document  offers 
the  most  extreme  form  of  those  legends  which  present  Pi- 
late's conduct  in  a  favourable  light.  It  is  manifestly  of  late 
origin,  although  the  favourable  view  of  Pilate  was  the  earlier 
one. 

(63)  Death    of     Pilate    who    condemned    Jesus;    chaps. 
XXXVI,  XXXVIII. 

Published  for  the  first  time  by  Tischendorf  from  a  Latin 
AIs.  of  the  fourteenth  century.  English  translations  by  Cow- 
per and  Walker.  This  is  manifestly  a  mediaeval  production ; 
it  appears  almost  entire  in  the  Golden  Legend,  and  Cowper 
thinks  that  it  was  probably  composed  in  France. 

(64)  Avenging  of  the  Saviour ;  chaps.  XXXVI-XXXVIII. 
Cowper  calls  this  an  old  anti-Jewish  fiction  of  Latin  origin. 

It  is  remarkable  for  the  absurdities  it  contains.  Tischen- 
dorf's  Latin  text  is  made  from  two  INIss.  of  the  fourteenth 
and  fifteenth  centuries ;  the  original  is  assigned  to  the  sev- 
enth or  eighth  century.  An  Anglo-Saxon  recension  of  the 
eleventh  century  exists.  English  translations  by  Cowper 
and  Walker. 
4 


1  INTRODUCTION 

(65)  Epistles  of  Pilate  and  Herod,  Greek  Form;  chap. 
XXXVII. 
This  contains  the  latters  described  in  (59),  in  reverse 
order.  James  published  the  Greek  text  from  a  Ms.  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  My  English  translation  is  by  Mr.  J.  J, 
Kirkpatrick,  of  Marshall,  Mo.  The  story  of  Long-inus, 
which  is  appended  to  this  document,  James  attributes  to  an- 
other author. 


SECTION  IV. 

LIST    OF    LOST    AND    FRAGMENTARY    GOSPELS,    WITH 

NOTES. 

1.  Gospel  of  Andrew.  Was  condemned  by  the  Decree  of 
Gelasius,  but  was  probably  only  another  name  for  one  of  the 
numerous  editions  of  the  Apocryphal  Acts  of  Andrew. 

2.  Gospel  of  Apelles.  Mentioned  by  Jerome  in  the  pre- 
face to  his  commentary  on  Matthew.  It  was  a  Gnostic  work, 
and,  like  Marcion's  Gospel,  was  probably  only  a  corrupted 
copy  of  one  of  the  canonical  four. 

3.  Gospel  according  to  the  Twelve  Apostles.  Is  men- 
tioned by  Origen,  Ambrose,  and  Jerome.  It  was  a  Gnostic 
Gospel,  and  existed  in  the  second  century ;  no  fragments  of 
value  are  known.  I  have  used  in  this  work  a  few  fragments 
from  another  work  of  the  same  name,  recently  published  in 
English  translation  by  J.  Rendel  Harris.  See  Contemporary 
Review,  vol.  LXXVI,  p.  805.  The  Ms.  of  this  is  of  the 
eighth  century,  and  the  work  may  possibly  have  connection 
with  the  foregoing,  although  certainly  not  the  ancient  Gospel 
in  unchanged  form. 

4.  Gospel  of  Barnabas.  Mentioned  in  the  Gelasian  De- 
cree. Another  and  probably  different  work  under  this  name 
is  of  Mohammedan  origin,  or  at  least  adaptation.  Most  of 
it  may  be  found  in  Fabricius,  II,  365,  seq.,  in  Italian.  I  have 
used  portions  of  this  in  my  notes.  It  seems  to  have  relations 
with  Docetic  literature  and  with  the  Assumption  legends. 

5.  Gospel  of  Bartholomew.  Mentioned  by  Jerome  and  by 
the  Decree  of  Gelasius.  It  may  well  have  been  some  of  the 
Acts  of  Bartholomew,  or  an  Apocalypse  similar  to  (33). 

6.  Gospel  of  Basilides.  Mentioned  by  Origen,  Ambrose, 
and  Jerome.     It  mav  be  partlv  extant  in  the  Gospel  of 

(  li  ) 


Hi  INTRODUCTION 

Thomas,  or  again  may  only  have  been  an  altered  version  of 
one  of  the  canonical  Gospels. 

7.  Gospel  of  Cerinthus.  Mentioned  by  Epiphanius.  It 
was  probably  a  mutilated  copy  of  Matthew. 

8.  Didascalia  Gospel.  Resch  gives  this  name  to  the  anony- 
mous Gospel  which  he  thinks  lies  at  the  foundation  of  ac- 
counts of  the  Lord's  life  given  in  the  Didascalia,  the  Apos- 
tolic Constitutions,  etc.  I  have  used  some  fragments  of  this 
where  it  differs  from  or  adds  to  the  canonical  tradition. 

9.  Gospel  of  the  Ebionites.  The  name  is  used  by  Epi- 
phanius, and  seems  to  indicate  only  another  recension  of  the 
Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,  which  see.  This  recension  is  marked 
by  a  leaning  toward  vegetarianism. 

10.  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians.  Known  by  a  number  of 
fragments,  which  I  have  incorporated  with  my  text.  The 
Logia  of  Christ,  and  Jacoby's  Gospel  Fragment,  which  I 
have  used,  may  also  belong  to  it.  It  was  probably  compiled 
in  Egypt,  and  followed  St.  Matthew  in  general,  but  drew 
from  other  sources  in  addition.  It  is  plainly  Gnostic  and 
Encratite  in  tendency. 

11.  Book  of  the  Elkesaites.  This  document,  which  the 
sect  of  the  Elkesaites  of  the  third  century,  a  species  of  Ebion- 
ites, believed  to  have  fallen  from  heaven,  is  briefly  described 
by  Eusebius.  It  was  a  heretical  Gospel  having  connections 
with  the  Clementine  literature,  but  its  exact  contents  are  un- 
known. 

12.  Gospel  of  the  Encratites,  This  is  mentioned  by  Epi- 
phanius, who  seems  to  have  meant  by  it  the  Gospel  of  Tatian, 
which  see.  The  name  would,  however,  have  applied  excel- 
lently to  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians. 

13.  The  Eternal  Gospel,  An  uninteresting  composition 
made  by  heretics  in  the  thirteenth  century  and  condemned  at 
Rome,  in  1250.  Another  book  appeared  under  this  name  in 
London,  in  1696,  and  still  another  in  Germany,  in  1699.  See 
Fabricius,  II,  526. 

14.  Gospel  of  Eve.  I  have  used  the  one  small  fragment 
of  this  preserved  by  Epiphanius.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
characteristic   Gnostic   work,   similar   rather   to  the    Pistis 


LIST  OF  LOST  GOSPELS  liii 

Sophia,  e.  g.,  than  to  our  ordinary  conception  of  a  Gospel. 
It  was  a  production  of  the  Ophite  school. 

15.  Gospels  of  the  Gnostics.  Epiphanius  speaks  of  the 
false  Gospels  of  the  Gnostics,  and  particularly  mentions  in 
that  connection  books  under  the  names  of  Seth  and  Adam. 
He  probably,  however,  had  no  specific  works  in  mind  in  using 
the  above  title ;  there  were  certainly  hundreds  of  books  that 
might  have  been  called  Gnostic  Gospels. 

16.  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews.  This  name,  which  is  used  by 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  Origen,  Jerome,  and  Epiphanius, 
refers  to  a  book  of  which  the  names.  Gospel  of  the  Naza- 
renes,  and  Gospel  of  the  Ebionites,  seem  to  indicate  only 
varying  recensions.  It  was  closely  related  to  Matthew,  and 
Jerome  in  one  place  speaks  of  it  as  being  only  a  Hebrew 
version  of  that  Gospel.  But,  as  the  fragments  which  remain, 
and  which  I  have  used,  show,  it  departs  widely  from  the 
present  Greek  IMatthew.  It  is,  throughout,  Hebrew  in  tone, 
exalts  the  position  of  James,  and  is  low  in  its  Christology. 

17.  Gospels  of  Hesychius.  These  are  mentioned  by  Je- 
rome, and  condemned  by  the  Gelasian  Decree ;  but  nothing 
of  them  has  come  down  to  us,  nor  is  their  character  known. 
They  were  probably  garbled  copies  of  the  canonical  books. 
The  names  Ysichius,  Eusicius,  Esitius,  Hyrcius,  etc.,  are 
used  by  certain  writers  in  referring  to  this  author. 

18.  Gospel  of  James  the  Less.  Origen  speaks  of  such  a 
work,  but  probably  means  the  Protevangelium.  See  sec.  I, 
( I ) .  A  number  of  books  forged  in  Spain  under  the  name  of 
James  are  described  by  Fabricius,  I,  351,  etc.  One  of  them 
claimed  to  be  a  Gospel  of  James  the  Greater,  but  is  worthy 
of  little  attention. 

19.  Book  of  St.  John  according  to  the  Cathari  or  Albi- 
genses.  This  is  printed  by  Thilo,  p.  884.  It  is  more  prop- 
erly an  Apocalypse  than  a  Gospel,  and  I  have  used  extracts 
from  it  in  my  notes.  It  is  of  late  origin,  and  certainly  owes 
its  inspiration  to  later  Western  Manichaeanism. 

20.  Gospel  of  John  preserved  by  the  Templars.  This 
work  is  described  at  some  length  by  Thilo,  p.  819,  seq.  It 
is  but  an  altered  and  more  rationalistic  copy  of  the  canonical 


liv  INTRODUCTION 

John,  and  I  have  found  but  Httle  in  it  suitable  for  my  use. 
It  has  been  held  to  be  of  Gnostic  origin,  but  this  view  does 
not  seem  to  be  justified. 

21.  The  Descent  from  the  Cross  by  John.  Fabricius  men- 
tions this  title.  I  judge  that  it  refers  to  some  version  of  the 
same  legend  upon  this  subject,  which  I  print  in  chap. 
XXVII. 

22.  Gospel  of  John  upon  the  Passing  of  Mary.  This  title 
has  been  given  to  what  is  no  more  than  a  version  of  the  As- 
sumption legend. 

23.  Gospel  of  Judas  Iscariot.  This  strange  work  of  the 
Cainite  Gnostics  is  mentioned  by  Irenaeus  and  Epiphanius, 
but  no  fragment  has  come  down  to  us.  It  took  the  view  that 
Judas  was  the  only  one  of  the  apostles  who  knew  the  true 
mysteries  of  Christ. 

24.  Gospel  used  by  Justin  Martyr,  or  the  Memoirs  of  the 
Apostles.  This  Church  father,  in  the  course  of  his  writings, 
covers  much  of  the  life  of  Christ,  and  relates  circumstances 
that  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  canonical  Gospels ;  I  have  in- 
cluded such  fragments  in  this  work.  He  refers  as  authority 
to  a  work  called  the  Memoirs  of  the  Apostles.  It  is  gener- 
ally believed  that  this  was  identical  with,  or  at  least  related 
to  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,  which  was  itself  substantially 
the  same  as  St.  Matthew's  Gospel. 

25.  Gospels  or  Acts  of  Leucius.  Various  Gospels,  Acts, 
or  other  books  forged  by  Leucius  are  mentioned  by  Jerome, 
Augustine,  the  Gelasian  Decree,  and  other  later  authorities. 
We  have  already  had  references  to  many  other  works  that 
are  attributed  to  the  famous  Leucius  Charinus.  He  is  also 
referred  to  under  the  names  of  Lucianus,  Leutius,  Leuncius, 
Leuontius,  Leuthon,  Lenticius,  Seleucius  and  many  other 
variants.  So  far  as  a  Gospel  of  Leucius  is  specially  indi- 
cated, it  is  impossible  to  tell  just  what  book  is  meant. 

26.  The  Living  Gospel.  A  name  given  by  the  Mani- 
chaeans  to  their  principal  Gospel.  Nothing  is  known  as  to 
its  contents,  save  that  it  probably  was  a  compilation  from 
the  canonical  ones.  Some  have  supposed  that  it  was  iden- 
tical with  the  Diatessaron  of  Tatian.     See  Gospel  of  Tatian. 


LIST  OF  LOST  GOSPELS  Iv 

27.  Gospels  of  the  Manichaeans.  Besides  the  Living  Gos- 
pel already  mentioned,  a  number  of  works  which  might  come 
under  this  head  are  known  by  title.  See  Fabricius,  I,  354, 
seq.  They  may  include  some  books  extant  under  other 
names. 

28.  Gospel  of  Marcion.  This  is  mentioned  by  Tertullian 
and  Epiphanius.  It  was  only  a  mutilated  copy  of  Luke,  be- 
ginning with  iii.i,  and  using  such  portions  as  suited  the 
heresiarch's  fancy.  Thilo,  p.  403,  seq.,  prints  the  text  as 
restored  by  Hahn  from  descriptions  found  in  the  Church 
writers. 

29.  Book  of  Mary  and  the  Midwife.  This  is  condemned 
in  the  Gelasian  Decree,  but  would  seem  to  be  only  another 
name  for  the  Protevangelium,  or  a  part  of  it. 

30.  Questions  of  Mary.  A  Gnostic  book  of  which  no  frag- 
ments have  come  down.  Epiphanius  says  it  was  full  of  such 
obscene  and  blasphemous  things  that  he  could  not  describe 
them. 

31.  Hebrew  Gospel  of  Matthew  used  by  the  Nazarenes. 
Eusebius  speaks  of  such  a  work,  which  seems  to  be  but  a 
name  for  one  of  the  recensions  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews, 
which  see. 

32.  Gospel  of  Matthias.  Such  a  Gospel  is  mentioned  by 
Origen,  Eusebius,  Ambrose,  and  Jerome,  although  nothing 
is  known  of  its  contents. 

33.  Traditions  of  Matthias.  This  work  is  known  by  a 
few  citations  of  no  great  value  preserved  by  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria. They  will  be  found  in  chap.  XIX.  It  was  held  in 
honour  by  several  of  the  Gnostic  sects,  and  may  possibly  be 
the  same  as  the  foregoing. 

34.  Gospel  of  Merinthus.  Epiphanius  ascribes  a  Gospel 
to  such  an  individual,  placing  him  in  the  same  category  with 
Cerinthus.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  same  per- 
son is  intended  in  each  case,  and  that  the  duplication  of  names 
arose  through  a  transcriber's  error. 

35.  Gospel  of  the  Nazarenes.  This  is  also  called  the  Gos- 
pel of  St.  Alatthew  according  to  the  Nazarenes.  It  is  essen- 
tially but  a  recension  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,  which 


Ivi  INTRODUCTION 

see.  As  contrasted  with  the  Ebionitic  recension,  it  is  charac- 
terized by  less  stress  on  Hebrew  ideas,  a  tendency  towards 
Gnosticism,  and  the  development  of  legend. 

36.  Gospel  of  Paul.  This  name  is  used  by  certain  of  the 
Church  fathers,  but  cannot  be  supposed  to  refer  to  any  defi- 
nite book  different  from  the  canonical  ones.  St.  Paul  him- 
self, in  Romans  and  Galatians,  speaks  of  "my  Gospel."  Some 
of  the  fathers  apply  this  term  to  his  epistles ;  others,  includ- 
ing heretics  like  Marcion,  called  Luke  St.  Paul's  Gospel. 
Also,  of  the  many  apocryphal  Acts  and  Apocalypses  under 
the  name  of  Paul,  some  have  doubtless  had  the  name  Gospel 
of  Paul  loosely  given  them. 

37.  Gospel  of  Perfection.  This  Gnostic  work  is  mentioned 
by  Epiphanius,  and  nothing  is  known  of  its  contents.  Some 
think  that  it  may  be  the  same  as  the  Gospel  of  Philip.  Cle- 
ment of  Alexandria  mentions  a  book  on  "Perfection  accord- 
ing to  the  Saviour,"  written  by  Tatian. 

38.  Gospel  of  Philip.  This  is  quoted  by  Epiphanius, 
whose  brief  fragments  I  have  used  in  my  text.  It  repre- 
sents some  pantheistic  school  of  Gnosticism. 

39.  Gospel  of  Scythianus.  This  is  mentioned  by  Cyril  of 
Jerusalem  and  Epiphanius.  They  say  that  Scythianus  was 
a  Saracen  of  Egypt  who  borrowed  his  principles  from 
Pythagoras  and  Aristotle ;  and  that  he  was  the  first  founder 
of  the  Manichaeans.  This  last  statement  is  certainly  erro- 
neous. No  fragment  of  the  work  survives,  but  Cyril  says 
that  it  contained  no  account  of  the  actions  of  Christ. 

40.  Books  of  Seth.  Such  books  of  Gnostic  origin,  also 
books  attributed  to  Seth  by  the  Arabs,  Ethiopians,  and  Sa- 
maritans, are  mentioned  by  various  authors.  I  judge,  from 
several  indications,  that  there  must  have  been  in  existence  at 
one  time  a  Gnostic  work  of  the  nature  of  a  Gospel  of  Seth. 

41.  Gospel  of  the  Simonites.  This  is  mentioned  in  the 
Arabic  Preface  to  the  Council  of  Nice,  and  is  attributed  to 
the  followers  of  Simon  Magus.  It  was  divided  into  four 
parts  and  called  the  "Book  of  the  Four  Corners  or  Regions 
of  the  World."  Nothing  more  is  known  as  to  its  contents. 
The  Apostolic  Constitutions  also  speak  of  the  fact  that  Simon 


LIST  OF  LOST  GOSPELS  Ivii 

and  his  followers  forged  books  under  the  names  of  Christ 
and  His  disciples. 

42.  Gospel  according  to  the  Syrians.  Fabricius  says  that 
this  is  mentioned  only  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  and  that  it 
seems  to  be  the  same  with  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews.  I 
should  regard  it  as  much  more  probable,  however,  that  the 
reference  is  to  the  following  Gospel,  or  Diatessaron  of  Ta- 
tian. 

43.  Gospel  of  Tatian.  This  work  is  mentioned  by  Euse- 
bius, and  by  Epiphanius,  who  calls  it  the  Gospel  of  the  Four, 
and  says  that  some  call  it  the  Gospel  according  to  the  He- 
brews. Certainly,  the  famous  Diatessaron  of  Tatian  is  in- 
tended. This  was  a  harmony  of  the  four  Gospels,  and,  as 
extant  in  an  Arabic  text,  contains  nearly  all  of  the  canonical 
Gospels,  and  little  else.  There  is  much  evidence  to  indicate, 
however,  that  it  once  contained  other  elements.  See  Ante- 
Nicene  Fathers,  X,  35,  seq. 

44.  Gospel  of  Thaddaeus  or  Jude  Thaddaeus.  A  book  of 
this  name  is  condemned  by  the  Gelasian  Decree.  It  prob- 
ably means  the  Acts  of  Thaddaeus,  which  are  extant  in  sev- 
eral forms. 

45.  Gospel  of  Thomas.  A  book  of  this  name,  probably 
entirely  different  from  the  Apocryphal  Gospel  of  Thomas  de- 
scribed in  the  foregoing  section,  is  mentioned  by  a  number 
of  writers.  It  is  universally  ascribed  to  the  Manichaeans, 
and  sometimes,  in  particular,  to  one  of  the  three  disciples  of 
Manes,  called  Thomas. 

46.  Gospel  of  Truth.  Mentioned  by  Irenaeus  and  attrib- 
uted to  the  Valentinians.  Its  contents  are  unknown,  save  as 
to  the  fact  that  they  did  not  in  any  way  agree  with  the  ca- 
nonical Gospels.  The  book  may  be  identical  with  the  fol- 
lowing title,  but  probably  was  a  different  work. 

47.  Gospel  of  Valentinus.  This  is  mentioned  only  by 
Tertullian,  and  may  be  identical  with  the  Gospel  of  Truth, 
the  Pistis  Sophia  described  in  the  foregoing  section,  or  some 
entirely  different  work. 


SECTION  V. 


LIST     OF     THE     PRINCIPAL     CHURCH     WRITERS     AND 
ANONYMOUS    DOCUMENTS,    WITH    AP- 
PROXIMATE  DATES. 


Clement  of  Rome,  93-95. 
Barnabas,  96-125. 
Papias,  ca.  125. 
Didache,  120-150. 
Hermas,  130-160. 
Second  Epistle  of  Clement, 

140-160. 
Ignatius,  ca.  150, 
Apollonius,  ca.  150. 
Muratorian     Fragment,     ca. 

150. 
Apelles,  ca.  150. 
Theodotion,  ante  160. 
Clementine    Homilies,     160- 

170. 
Justin  Martyr,  ca.  165. 
Polycarp,  ■j'i66. 
Melito,  ca.  170. 
Athenagoras,  177. 
Epistles     from     Lyons     and 

Vienna,  177. 
Irenaeus,  post  178. 
Epistle  to  Diognetus,  ca.  180. 
Hegesippus,  ca.  180. 
Theophilus,  post  180. 
Theodotus,  ca.  190. 
Symmachus,  ca.  190. 


Pseudo-Cyprian  de  Aleatori- 
bus,  de  Duobus  Montibus, 
ca.  199. 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  fca. 
220. 

liippolytus,  ca,  220-230. 

Tertullian,  post  220. 

Origen,  185-254. 

Didascalia,  250-300. 

Dionysius  of  Alexandria, 
1265. 

Dial,  de  Recte  Fide,  ca.  300. 

Apostolic  Constitutions,  ca. 
300. 

Arnobius,  ca.  300. 

Pamphilus,  t309- 

Methodius,  t3io- 

Marcellus,  ca.  325. 

Lactantius,  ca.  330. 

Juvencus,  ca.  330. 

Eusebius  of  Caesarea,  t340' 

Aphraates,  336-345- 

Redactor  of  the  Constitu- 
tions, ca.  350. 

Agathangelus,  ca.  350. 

Hilary,  t366. 

Caesarius,  t368. 


(  Iviii  ) 


LIST  OF  CHURCH  WRITERS 


lix 


Amphilochius,  369-375. 
Athanasius,  t373- 
Ephraem  Syrus,  t378. 
Basil,  t379' 
Priscillian,  t385. 
Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  t386. 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  t390- 
Macarius,  t39i- 
Gregory  of  Nyssa,  371-394. 
Didymus,  t395- 
Ambrose,  t397- 
Epiphanius,  t403' 
Chrysostom,  t407- 
Jerome,  7420. 
Augustine,  354-430- 
Palladius,  t43i- 
Paulinus  Nolanus,  t43i' 
Cassian,  t432. 
Socrates,  ante  439. 
Cyril  of  Alexandria,  t440- 
Nilus,  tea.  450. 
Salvianus,  451-455. 
Theodoret,  fca.  457. 
Severus,  512-519. 
Dionysius    the     Areopagite, 

ca.  532. 
Procopius,  ca.  550. 
Gregory  the  Great,  540-604. 


Gregory  Turonensis,  595. 
Johannes  Climacus,  f6o6. 
Maximus,  662. 
Anastasius  Sinaita,  ca.  680. 
Sedulius  Scotus,  post  700. 
John  of  Damascus,  ca.  760. 
Elias  of  Crete,  ca.  787. 
Theodorus   Studita,   1826. 
Petrus  Siculus,  ca.  870. 
Oecumenius,  ca.  990. 
Theodore  Balsamo,  ca.  1180. 
Philippus,  1289. 
Jacobus  de  Voragine,  11298. 
Marinus  Sanutus,  13 10. 
Odoricus  de  Foro  Julii,  1320. 
Nicephorus  Callistus,  ca. 

1320-50. 
Nicephorus    Gregoras,    post 

1350- 

Ordo  Peregrinationum  in  Je- 
rusalem, ca.  1400. 

Hans  Porner,  1419 

Johannes  Gerson,  'fi42g. 

Lochner  in  Gersheim,  1436. 

Gennadius,  ca.  1460. 

Cologne  Missal,  1548. 

Cotelerius,  f  1686. 


And  many  other  signs  truly  did  Jesus  in  -he  fresence  of  His  disciples, 
ivbi<h  are  not  written  in  this  book.  And  there  arg  also  many  other  things 
which  Jesus  did,  the  which,  if  they  should  be  written  every  one,  I  suppose 
that  even  the  world  itself  could  not  contain  tht  books  that  should  he 
written." — Gospel  of  St.  John  xx.50;    xii.25 


CHAPTER  I. 
CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS  ACCORDING  TO  THE  FLESH. 

Joachim  —  His  Liberality  —  Anna  —  Childlessness  — 
Visit  the  Temple — Are  reproached — Joachim  re- 
tires TO  Mountains — His  Fast — Anna  returns  Home 
— Both  see  Visions — Anna's  Lamentation — Other 
Reproaches  —  Daughter  promised  Her  —  Also  to 
Joachim — His  Vision — His  Offering — Meeting  at 
Jerusalem — Joachim's  Sacrifice — Other  Visions — 
Joachim  and  Anna  return  Home. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  1-5. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  1-3. 
(3) — Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  1-5. 
(4) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin,  i. 

In  the  city  of  Nazareth,  in  GaHlee,  there  dwelt  a  shepherd  (j) 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  named  Joachim.^  He  was  a  priest,  (^^ 
and  a  descendant  of  David,  the  king,  a  man  who  feared  the  (4) 
Lord  in  integrity  and  singleness  of  heart.     He  was,  besides 

^The  name  is  purely  traditional ;  Barpanther,  who  was  the  son  of 

v/as  probably  suggested  by   Su-  Panther,    who    was    the    son    of 

sanna,  i.4,  where  the  same  char-  Levi,   who   was   of  the   race   of 

acter     is     ascribed     to     another  Nathan,  the  son  of  David."     He 

Joachim.     Solomon    of    Bassora  is  commemorated   in  the   Greek 

called  him  Jonachir  or   Sadoch.  church  on   Sept.  9.     Some  have 

The  20th  of  March  is  dedicated  understood  Luke  iii.23  to  mean 

to  him  in  the  Roman  calendar,  that  the  name  of  Mary's  father 

but  his  feast  is  celebrated  on  the  was    Heli.    Jerome    thought    he 

Sunday  falling  within  the  octave  was  called   Cleophas.     (4)    calls 

of  the  Assumption  of  B.  V.  M.  him  Joakim,  but  says  that  "his 

A  lection  given  in  the  Breviary  name  was  formerly  Cleopas." 
states  that  he  "was  the  son  of 

(    I    ) 


2  CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS 

exceeding  rich  in  gold  and  silver  and  cattle,  having  no  other 
care  save  for  his  flocks  and  herds,  from  the  produce  of  which 
he  gave  to  all  that  feared  God,  and  bestowed  double  gifts 
upon  the  Lord's  ministers.  Nay  more,  he  divided  all  his 
increase  into  three  portions ;  one  he  gave  to  the  orphans,  the 
widows,  the  strangers,  and  the  poor ;  another,  to  those  who 
ministered  to  God ;  the  remaining  third  only  did  he  keep  for 
himself  and  his  house.  This,  Joachim  had  done  since  he 
was  fifteen  years  old,  saying  that  his  superabundance  should 
be  given  to  all  the  people,  and  that  these  offerings  should  be 
for  his  forgiveness  and  for  a  propitiation  before  the  Lord. 
Wherefore  God  highly  prospered  him,  and  there  was  no  man 
like  him  amongst  all  the  people  of  Israel.^ 

(2)  Now  when  Joachim  was  twenty  years  old  his  parents  took 

(3)  for  him  a  wife,  Anna,^  the  daughter  of  Mathan,^  who  dwelt 
at  Bethlehem,*  and  was  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  and  house  of 
Aaron.  Mathan's  wife,  also,  was  Mary  of  the  tribe|of 
Judah ;   and  his  two  elder  daughters  were  Mary  and  Sobe.^ 

(2)      But  Joachim  and  his  wife,  dear  to  God,  and  good  to  men, 
'^^  passed  about  twenty  years  in  chaste  matrimony  at  home  with- 

'Cf.  Job  i.8.  nourishment  from  a  doe.     At  her 

^Also  traditional ;  probably  sug-  birth,  the  name  Anna  was  found 

gested  by  the  name  of  Hannah,  written  on  her  breast  in  letters  of 

I    Sam.    i.2,    seq.     The    story   of  gold ! 

Anna  has  borrowed  largely  from  ^Called  so  in  the  Roman  bre- 
this  O.  T.  narrative.  Her  name  viary,  but  Achar  by  (2)  and  by 
is  given  by  Solomon  of  Bassora  Hippolytus ;  Gazir,  by  another 
as  Dina.  St.  Anna  is  commemo-  breviary,  and  Nahor  by  the  Mo- 
rated  by  the  Roman  church  on  hammedans.  A  mediaeval  work 
Jul.  26,  and  in  the  Greek  church  quoted  by  Migne,  H,  col.  105, 
on  Jul.  25.  Tradition  is  that  she  says  that  Anna's  parents  were 
was  eighteen  years  old  at  the  Stolano  and  Emerantiane. 
date  of  her  marriage.  There  are  ^Another  tradition  places  her 
some  strange  mediaeval  legends  birth  at  Eleutheropolis,  and  an 
concerning  the  infancy  of  Anna;  old  church  occupying  the  site  of 
see  Migne,  Legendes,  col.  1220;  her  birthplace  is  still  shown 
Leroux  de  Lincy,  Livre  des  Leg-  there. 

endes,  p.   27.    For  instance,   she  °This    paragraph    also    draws 

was  born  in  a  strange  manner  of  from  the  tradition  of  the  Roman 

the  Emperor  Fanuel,  ordered  by  church  as  found  in  the  Breviary, 
him  to  be  exposed,  but  received 


ARE  REPROACHED  3 

out  having  either  sons  or  (laughters.  And  they  vowed,  that 
if  God  perchance  should  give  them  offspring  they  would 
yield  it  to  the  service  of  the  Lord ;  for  which  cause  they  were 
wont  to  frequent  the  temple  of  the  Lord  at  every  festival  in 
the  year. 

Behold,  now,  the  time  came  for  them  to  go  to  Bethlehem  /j-v 
to  give  their  tithes  to  the  Lord  according  to  the  law  of  Moses,  (2) 
and  the  great  Festival  of  the  Dedication^  was  also  at  hand,  [^n 
So  Joachim  and  Anna  went  up  to  Jerusalem  with  those  of 
their  own  tribe,  and  entered  the  temple,  the  women  by  them- 
selves, and  the  men  likewise  by  themselves. 

But  when  Anna  drew  nigh  to  a  woman,  she  would  thrust  r.\ 
her  far  away,  saying,  "Touch  me  not,  for  thou  art  barren, 
lest  thine  infirmity  pass  over  to  us,  and  our  husbands  hate 
us,  because  we  have  become  childless  as  thou."  In  the  same 
manner  also,  the  men  were  saying  the  like  words  against 
Joachim. 

And  when  the  high  priest  Rubim^  saw  him  with  his  offer-  (^\ 
ing  amongst  his  fellows,  he  despised  him  and  spurned  his  (2) 
gifts.     For  he  said  that  they  could  not  by  any  means  be  ac- 
ceptable  to  God  who  had  deemed  him  unworthy  of  offspring, 
since  the  scriptures  said,  "Cursed  is  everyone  who  hath  not 
begotten  a  male  or  a  female  in  Israel."^ 

When  Joachim  heard  such  taunts  as  these,  he  would  cover  /  •> 
his  face  with  his  raiment,  and  weep  and  cry  out,  saying, 
"God,  Thine  eyes  see  and  Thine  ears  hear  such  taunts  as 
these,  which  they  bring  against  me  and  my  unhappy  wife. 
Forget  not  our  supplication  and  our  reproach.  Woe  to  us ! 
Our  mourning  is  greater  than  that  of  all  this  people,  but 
altogether  our  sins,  as  we  are  in  these  griefs,  are  worse  than 

^Thus  (3),  but  (i)  calls  it"the  *There    is    no    such    verse    in 

great  day  of  the  Lord,"  and  (4),  scripture,    but    the    sentiment    is 

"the  passover  of  the  Jews,  even  implied.      See    I     Sam.     i.6,    7; 

the  Feast  of  Tabernacles."  Hos.  ix.14;   Ex.   xxiii.26;   Deut. 

*(i)   calls  him  merely  Rubim,  vii.14.     Several    of    the    Church 
(2),  Reuben  the  priest,  and  (3),  fathers     seem     to     think     that 
Issachar  the  high  priest.    There  there  is  such  a  verse  in  scrip- 
is  no  historical  authority  for  any  ture. 
of  these  names. 


4  CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS 

those  of  all  that  belong  to  us."     These  and  the  like  things 

these  blessed  ones  were  saying,  until  they  completed  the  feast 

in  sorrow  and  groanings.^ 

/j\      Being,  therefore,  put  to  shame  in  the  sight  of  the  people 

(2)  with  this  reproach,  Joachim  retired  from  the  temple,  weeping. 

^  And  he  went  away  to  the  registers  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the 

people  to  find  out  whether  he  alone  had  not  made  seed  in 

Israel ;  but  he  found  that  all  the  righteous  had  been  blessed 

with  offspring,  although  he  called  to  mind  that  only  in  his 

last  days  had  God  given  the  patriarch  Abraham  his  son  Isaac. 

/j\      Nor  would  he  return  home  lest  he  should  be  branded  with 

(2)  this  reproach  by  those  of  his  own  tribe  who  had  heard  the 

words  of  the  high  priest,  but  taking  with  him  his  shepherds 

he  retired  to  his  flocks  that  were  in  the  mountains  of  a  far 

country.     And  there  he  pitched  his  tent  and  fasted  forty 

days  and  forty  nights,-  saying  within  himself,  "I  will  not  go 

down  until  the  Lord  my  God  shall  look  upon  me,  and  prayer 

shall  be  my  food  and  drink." 

/.\      And  Anna  went  to  her  house  in  great  sorrow  and  distress 

of  heart,  the  Lord  being  her  protector.     Now  when  she  fell 

asleep  on  a  certain  night  she  was  shown  a  vision.     It  was  as 

though  a  tree  were  seen  planted  by  the  banks  of  a  spring  of 

water,  a  white  dove  being  in  the  midst  of  the  tree.     It  flew 

from  the  tree  and  sat  on  the  hands  of  Anna ;   and  it  sat  on 

her  bosom,  and  kept  kissing  the  mouth  of  Anna  a  great 

while. 

/  ,\      At  the  same  time,  Joachim  also  saw  a  vision  in  the  night. 

It  was  as  though  he  were  by  a  spring  of  water,  and,  behold, 

a  white  dove  sitting  by  the  spring  of  water,  drinking  water 

from  it.     It  flew  straightway,  and  sat  on  his  head,  and  kept 

going  round  about  him.^ 

^It  appears  from  (4)   that  the  ^These  two  visions,  found  only 

feast  lasted  forty  days.  in  (4),  suggest  the  story  of  the 

^Imitation    of    fast    of    Moses,  white  dove  flying  out  of  Joseph's 

Ex.     xxiv.18;     xxxiv.28;     Deut.  rod,  found  in  chap.  Ill  of  this 

ix.g;    that    of    Elijah,    I    Kings  work.    The  symbol  of  the  dove 

xix.8;  and  that  of  Christ,  Mat.  was  widely  used  by  the  Jews.    See 

iv.2.     Chrysostom  says  that  Dan-  Winer,     Biblisches     Realworter- 

iel  also  fasted  forty  days.  buch,  p.  566,  n.  5. 


ANNA'S  LAMENTATIONS  5 

But  for  five  months  Anna  heard  no  tidings  of  her  husband,  /j) 
So  she  mourned  in  two  mournings  and  lamented  in  two  (2) 
lamentations,  saying,  "I  bewail  my  widowhood;  I  bewail 
my  childlessness."  And  she  prayed  with  tears,  saying,  "O 
Lord,  most  mighty  God  of  Israel,  why  hast  Thou,  seeing 
that  already  Thou  hast  not  given  me  children,  taken  from 
me  my  husband  also  ?  Behold  now  five  months  that  I  have 
not  seen  him ;  and  I  know  not  where  he  is  tarrying ;  nor,  if 
I  knew  him  to  be  dead,  could  I  bury  him." 

Now  Judith,^  Anna's  maid-servant,  said  to  her,  "How  long  ,  . 
dost  thou  humiliate  thy  soul?  Behold  the  great  day  of  the 
Lord-  is  at  hand,  and  it  is  unlawful  for  thee  to  mourn.  But 
take  this  head-band  which  the  woman  that  made  it  gave  me ; 
for  it  is  not  fit  that  I  should  wear  it,  because  I  am  but  a 
maid-servant,  and  it  is  of  royal  appearance."  And  Anna 
said,  "Depart  from  me;  for  I  have  not  done  such  things, 
and  the  Lord  hath  brought  me  very  low.  I  fear  that  some 
wicked  person  hath  given  it  to  thee,  and  that  thou  hast  come 
to  make  me  a  sharer  in  thy  sin."  And  Judith  said,  "Why 
should  I  seek  to  curse  thee,  seeing  that  the  Lord  hath  denied 
thee  fruit  in  Israel?"  And  Anna  was  grieved  exceedingly, 
and  putting  off  her  garments  of  mourning,  she  anointed  her 
head,  and  put  on  wedding  garments.^ 

And  about  the  ninth  hour*  she  went  down  to  the  garden  to  ^  . 
walk,  where  seeing  a  laurel  tree  she  sat  under  it  and  prayed  (2) 
to  the  Lord,  saying,  "O  God  of  our  fathers,  bless  me  and 
hear  my  prayer,  as  thou  didst  bless  Sarah,  and  didst  give  her 
a  son  Isaac."  And  lifting  up  her  eyes  to  God  she  saw  a 
sparrow's  nest  in  the  laurel  tree,^  and  made  a  lamentation, 
saying,  "Alas  !  who  begot  me,  and  what  womb  produced  me  ? 
because  I  have  become  a  curse  in  the  presence  of  the  sons  of 
Israel,  and  I  have  been  reproached,  and  they  have  driven  me 
in  derision  out  of  the  temple  of  the  Lord.     Alas !  to  what 

'Other  forms  of  this  name  are  ing  the  part  of  temptress,  thus 

Juth  and  Juthin.  bringing  the  sinlessness  of  Anna 

'Possibly  the  Feast  of  Taber-  into  relief, 

nacles.  *See  Acts  x.3. 

^Judith  is  represented  as  play-  °See  Tobit  ii.io. 
5 


6  CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS 

have  I  been  likened  ?  I  am  not  like  the  fowls  of  the  heaven, 
because  even  they  are  productive  before  Thee,  O  Lord.  I 
am  not  like  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  because  even  they  are  pro- 
ductive before  thee,  O  Lord.  I  am  not  like  the  waters,  be- 
cause even  they  are  productive  before  Thee,  O  Lord.  I  am 
not  like  the  earth,  because  even  the  earth  bringeth  forth  its 
fruits  in  due  season,  and  blesseth  Thee,  O  Lord.  For  Thou 
hast  given  offspring  to  every  creature,  to  beasts  wild  and 
tame,  to  serpents,  and  birds,  and  fishes,  and  they  all  rejoice 
in  their  young;  but  me  alone  hast  Thou  shut  out  from  the 
gift  of  Thy  benignity.  And  Thou,  O  God,  knowest  my 
heart,  that  from  the  beginning  of  my  married  life  I  have 
vowed  that  if  Thou,  O  God,  shouldst  give  me  son  or  daugh- 
ter, I  would  offer  them  to  Thee  in  Thy  holy  temple."^ 
,  N  And  while  she  was  thus  speaking,  suddenly  an  angel  of 
(2)  the  Lord  appeared  before  her,  saying,  "Be  not  afraid,  Anna, 
^^^  for  I  am  that  angel  who  hath  presented  thy  prayers  and  alms 
before  God.^  Behold,  I  have  been  sent  to  pronounce  to  thee 
that  the  Lord  hath  heard  thy  prayers  and  that  there  is  seed 
for  thee  in  His  decree ;  and  that  all  generations,  even  to  the 
end,  shall  wonder  at  that  which  shall  be  born  of  thee.  For 
thou  shalt  bring  forth  a  daughter,  who  shall  be  called  Mary, 
and  who  shall  be  blessed  above  all  women.^  She,  full  of  the 
favour  of  the  Lord  even  from  her  birth,  shall  remain  three 
years  in  her  father's  house  until  she  be  weaned.  Thereafter, 
being  delivered  to  the  service  of  the  Lord,  she  shall  not 
depart  from  the  temple  until  she  reach  the  years  of  discre- 
tion. But  serving  God  day  and  night  in  fasting  and  prayers, 
she  shall  abstain  from  every  unclean  thing;  and  she  alone 
without  example,  an  immaculate,  uncorrupted  virgin,  shall 

^This  paragraph  is  not  devoid  plainly  stated  in   some  Mss.   of 

of  literary  merit.  (i)  and  (3).     This  doctrine  was 

^See  Acts   x.4.     For  instances  broached  in  the  twelfth  century, 

of  angels  offering  prayers  to  God,  and  is  held  by  some  in  the  Ro- 

see  Tobit  xii.12,  15;    Rev.  viii.3,  man  church  to  the  present  day. 

4,  besides  many  apocryphal  writ-  It  had  a  large  part  in  leading  up 

ings.  to  the  reception  of  the  dogma  of 

^That  Anna  conceived  by  the  the  immaculate  conception  of  the 

Holy  Ghost  is  hinted  at  here,  and  B.  V.  M. 


ANNUNCIATION  TO  ANNA  7 

bring  forth  the  I.ord — both  in  grace,  and  in  name,  and  in 
work,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Wherefore,  arise,  and  go 
up  to  Jerusalem ;  and  when  thou  shalt  come  to  the  gate 
which,  because  it  is  plated  with  gold,  is  called  Golden,^  there 
for  a  sign,  thou  shalt  meet  thy  husband,  for  whose  safety 
thou  hast  been  anxious.  And  when  these  things  shall  have 
so  happened,  know  that  what  I  announce  shall  without  doubt 
be  fulfilled."  Having  thus  spoken,  the  angel  vanished  out 
of  her  sight. ^ 

But  Anna,  in  fear  and  dread  because  she  had  seen  such  a  (2) 
sight,  and  heard  such  words,  went  into  her  chamber,  and 
threw  herself  on  the  bed  as  if  dead.  And  after  remaining 
a  whole  day  and  night  in  great  trembling  and  prayer,  she 
called  her  servant  and  said  to  her,  "Dost  thou  see  me  de- 
ceived in  my  widowhood  and  in  great  perplexity;  yet  hast 
thou  been  unwilling  to  come  in  to  me  ?"  With  a  slight  mur- 
mur the  maid  replied,  "If  God  hath  denied  thee  offspring, 
and  hath  taken  away  thy  husband  from  thee,  what  can  I  do 
for  thee?"  And  when  Anna  heard  this,  she  lifted  up  her 
voice,  and  wept  aloud.' 

Now  about  the  same  time  there  appeared  an  angel  of  the  /jv 
Lord  in  great  light*  to  Joachim,  who  was  feeding  his  flocks  (2) 
alone  in  the  mountains,  and  said  to  him,  "Why  dost  thou  not  ^^^ 
return  to  thy  wife?"    Then  great  fear  overwhelmed  Joachim, 
but  he  told  the  angel  how  his  wife  was  barren,  how  he  had 
been  driven  with  shame  from  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and 

^This  was  probably  a  gate  of  'This   paragraph   is   in   reality 

the  temple,  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  only  the  form  given  in  (2)  of  the 

Acts  iii.2,  and  not  a  gate  of  the  tradition  about  Judith  which  is 

city  of  Jerusalem,  as  seems  to  be  given  in  (i). 

intended  here.  ''The  idea  of  angels  being  ac- 

"The  angel's  message  to  Anna  companied  by  great  light  occurs 

is  plainly  formed  on  the  general  many  times  in  apocryphal  litera- 

model    of    the    annunciation    to  ture.     See   also    Ex.    iii.2;    Mat. 

Mary.       Suggestions     are     also  xxviii.3;  Luke  ii.9;  xxiv.4;  Acts 

drawn  from  the  annunciation  re-  xii.7.     In  the  Coptic  Liturgy  of 

garding  Samson,  Judges  xiii ;  re-  St.  Basil,  Michael,  Gabriel,  Ra- 

garding  Isaac,  Gen.  xvii.i6;  re-  phael.  and  Suriel  are  called  the 

garding  Samuel,  I  Sam.  i.i ;  and  "quatuor  lucidi." 
regarding  John  Baptist,  Luke  i.13. 


8  CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS     , 

how  he  was  determined  to  remain  with  his  flocks  the  rest  of 
his  days  bestowing  his  goods  in  charity  by  the  hands  of  his 
servants,  as  he  had  been  wont  to  do.  But  the  angel  rephed, 
and  said,  "Fear  not,  Joachim,  nor  be  disturbed  by  my  ap- 
pearance ;  for  I  am  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  sent  to  tell  thee 
that  thy  prayers  have  been  heard,  and  that  thy  charitable 
deeds  have  ascended  into  God's  presence.  He  hath  seen  thy 
shame,  and  hath  heard  how  unfruitfulness  hath  unjustly 
been  made  a  reproach  against  thee.  For  He  is  the  avenger 
of  sin,  not  of  nature ;  therefore  when  He  denieth  offspring 
to  any,  He  doeth  it  that  He  may  miraculously  bestow  it 
again,  so  that  that  which  is  born  may  be  acknowledged  to  be 
not  of  lust,  but  of  the  gift  of  God.^  For  was  not  the  first 
mother  of  your  nation,  Sarah,  barren  up  to  her  ninetieth 
year?^  Yet  in  extreme  old  age  she  brought  forth  Isaac  to 
whom  was  renewed  the  promise  of  blessing  to  all  nations. 
Rachel  also,  so  favoured  of  the  Lord  and  beloved  of  holy 
Jacob,  was  long  barren.  Yet  she  brought  forth  Joseph,  who 
was  not  only  the  lord  of  Eg}^pt,  but  the  deliverer  of  many 
nations  that  were  ready  to  perish  with  hunger.  Who  among 
the  judges  was  either  stronger  than  Samson,  or  more  holy 
than  Samuel?  Yet  the  mothers  of  both  were  barren.  If, 
therefore,  the  reasonableness  of  my  words  doth  not  persuade 
thee,  believe  in  truth  that  conceptions  very  late  in  life,  and 
births  in  the  case  of  women  that  have  been  barren,  are  usu- 
ally attended  with  something  wonderful.  To-day,  have  I 
appeared  to  thy  wife  when  she  was  weeping  and  praying, 
and  have  consoled  her.  And  know  that  she  hath  conceived 
a  daughter  from  thy  seed,  although  thou  in  ignorance  of  this 
hast  left  her.  This  seed  shall  be  blessed,  and  shall  be  the 
mother  of  eternal  blessing.  She  shall  be,  as  ye  vowed,  con- 
secrated to  the  Lord  from  her  infancy;  and  shall  be  filled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  from  her  mother's  womb.^  Nor 
shall  she  spend  her  life  among  the  crowds  of  the  people 
without,  but  in  the  Lord's  temple,  that  it  may  not  be  possible 
either  to  say,  or  so  much  as  to  suspect,  any  evil  concerning 

'Cf.  John  iii.6,  etc.  ^Closely  follows  Luke  i.ii,  15. 

^See  Gen.  xvii.17. 


ANNUNCIATION  TO  JOACHIM  9 

her.  And  when  she  hath  grown  up,  even  as  she  herself  shall 
be  miraculously  born  of  a  barren  woman,  so  shall  she,  a 
virgin,  in  an  incomparable  manner,  bring  forth  the  Son  of 
the  Most  High,  who  shall  be  called  Jesus,  and  according  to 
the  meaning  of  His  name  be  the  Saviour  of  all  nations. 
Therefore,  go  down  from  the  mountains  and  return  to  thy 
wife,  giving  God  thanks  for  this.  And  this  shall  be  the  sign 
to  thee  of  these  things  which  I  announce :  When  thou  shalt 
come  to  the  Golden  gate  in  Jerusalem  thou  shalt  there  meet 
Anna,  thy  wife,  who  lately  anxious  on  account  of  the  delay 
in  thy  return,  will  rejoice  at  the  sight  of  thee." 

Then  Joachim  adored  the  angel,  saying,  "If  I  have  found  (2) 
favour  in  thy  sight,  sit  for  a  little  in  my  tent,^  and  bless  thy 
servant."  But  the  angel  said,  "Do  not  say  servant,  but 
fellow-servant ;-  for  we  are  all  the  servants  of  one  Master. 
My  food  is  invisible,  and  my  drink  cannot  be  seen  by  a 
mortal.^  Thou  oughtest  not,  therefore,  to  ask  me  to  enter 
thy  tent,  but  if  thou  desirest  to  give  me  anything,  offer  it  as 
a  burnt-offering  to  the  Lord."  Then  Joachim  took  a  lamb 
without  spot,  and  said  to  the  angel,  "I  should  not  have  dared 
to  offer  a  burnt-offering  to  the  Lord,  unless  thy  command 
had  given  me  the  priest's  right  of  offering."*  And  the  angel 
replied,  "I  should  not  have  invited  thee  to  offer  unless  I  had 
known  the  will  of  the  Lord."  And  when  Joachim  was  offer- 
ing the  sacrifice  of  God,  the  angel  and  the  odour  of  the  sacri- 
fice went  together  straight  up  to  heaven  with  the  smoke.^ 

And  Joachim,  throwing  himself  on  his  face,  lay  in  prayer  (2) 
from  the  sixth  hour  of  the  day  even  until  evening.  But 
when  his  lads  and  hired  servants  saw  him,  not  knowing  why 
he  was  lying  down,  they  thought  that  he  was  dead.  And 
coming  to  him,  they  with  difficulty  raised  him  from  the 
ground,  whereupon  he  recounted  to  them  the  vision  of  the 
angel.     And  they,  struck  with  great  fear  and  wonder,  ad- 

^See  Gen.  xviii.3.  Yet  he  is  called  a  priest  in  the 

^See  Rev.  xix.io.  traditions    of    the    Manichaeans, 

*See  Judges  xiii.i6.  and  said  to  be  of  the  tribe  of 

*Joachim,  as  being  of  the  tribe  Levi. 

of  Judah,  had  no  right  to  offer.  ^Judges  xiii.20. 


10  CHRIST'S  GRANDPARENTS 

vised  him  to  accomplish  the  vision  without  delay,  returning 
in  haste  to  his  wife. 
(2)  But  when  Joachim  was  turning  over  in  his  mind  whether 
he  should  go  back  or  not,  it  happened  that  he  was  over- 
powered with  a  deep  sleep ;  and,  behold,  the  angel  who  had 
already  appeared  to  him,  came  to  him  in  his  sleep,  and  re- 
peated the  message  which  he  had  once  before  given.  Then 
Joachim  awoke  and  calling  his  herdsmen  to  him,  told  them 
his  dream.  And  they  worshipped  the  Lord,  and  said,  "See 
that  thou  no  further  despise  the  words  of  the  angel.  But 
rise  and  let  us  go  hence,  returning  at  a  quiet  pace,  feeding 
our  flocks." 
/j-)  Therefore,  as  the  angel  had  commanded,  both  Joachim  and 
(2)  Anna,  setting  out  from  the  places  where  they  were,  went  up 
px  to  Jerusalem.  And  when,  after  thirty  days  occupied  in  trav- 
elling, they  were  now  near  at  hand,  behold,  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Anna,  who  was  standing  and  praying, 
saying  unto  her,  "Go  to  the  gate  which  is  called  Golden,  and 
meet  thy  husband  in  the  way ;  for  to-day  he  will  come  to 
thee."  So  with  her  maidens  she  went  in  haste,  and  praying 
to  the  Lord,  she  stood  a  long  time  in  the  gate  waiting  for 
Joachim.  And  when  she  was  wearied  with  long  waiting, 
she  lifted  up  her  eyes  and  saw  him  afar  off,  coming  with  his 
flocks.  Then  she  ran  to  him  and  hung  on  his  neck,  giving 
thanks  to  God,  and  saying,  'T  was  a  widow,  and  behold  I 
am  not  so ;  I  was  barren,  and  behold  I  have  now  con- 
ceived." And  both  of  them,  rejoicing  at  seeing  each  other, 
gave  the  thanks  due  to  God  who  exalteth  the  humble, 
secure  in  the  certainty  of  the  promised  offspring.  And  the 
old  women  saw  that  she  had  conceived  and  rejoiced  with 
her. 
(j)  Then  Joachim  went  down  and  called  his  shepherds,  say- 
ing, "Bring  me  hither  ten  she-lambs  without  spot  or  blemish, 
which  shall  be  for  the  Lord  my  God;  and  bring  me  twelve 
tender  calves,  which  shall  be  for  the  priests  and  elders ;  and 
a  hundred  goats,  which  shall  be  for  all  the  people."  And  on 
the  following  day  he  brought  his  offerings,  saying  to  him- 
self, that  if  the  Lord  God  had  been  rendered  gracious  to  him. 


THE  RETURN  HOME  li 

the  plate^  on  the  priest's  forehead  would  make  it  manifest. 
So  when  he  went  up  to  the  altar  of  the  Lord  with  the  offer- 
ing, he  observed  the  priest's  plate  attentively,  and  saw  no  sin 
in  himself.  Then  did  Joachim  know  that  the  Lord  had  been 
gracious  unto  him,  and  had  remitted  all  his  sins.  And  he 
went  down  from  the  temple  of  the  Lord  justified.^ 

And  Anna  saw  again  a  vision  in  the  night ;  as  though  she  (4) 
had  brought  her  tithes  into  the  temple  of  the  priests  of  God, 
so  that  the  priests  were  calling  her.  And,  behold,  an  angel 
took  the  likeness  of  a  man  and  spake  with  Anna,  saying, 
"Take  courage  and  be  strong.  Behold  thou  shalt  bring  forth 
a  daughter.  Call  her  name  Mary.  Depart  from  the  bed  of 
Joachim  and  eat  not  anything  unclean^  until  thou  wean  the 
child  in  purity."  And  the  angel  blessed  Anna,  the  priests 
answering  him,  "Amen."  And  when  Ann  had  arisen  from 
the  vision,  she  spake  to  Joachim  her  husband,  and  they  glori- 
fied the  God  of  Israel. 

And  Anna  said,  "Lord,  I  vow  unto  Thee  the  fruit  that  is  (n) 
in  my  womb  free  and  exempt  from  all  affairs,  to  serve  Thee 
in  my  womb  free  and  exempt  from  all  affairs,  to  serve  Thee 
with  affection ;  Thou  understandest  and  knowest  all  things."* 

Now  when  the  days  of  the  ministration  were  fulfilled,  (2) 
Joachim  and  Anna,  having  worshipped,  departed  to  their  ^^^ 
own  house,  being  in  great  joy  for  the  grace  which  was  shown 
them,  and  awaiting  in  certainty  and  gladness  the  divine 
promise.  And  when  this  was  heard  of,  there  was  great  joy 
among  all  their  neighbors  and  acquaintances,  so  that  the 
whole  land  of  Israel  congratulated  them.^ 

^The  Petalon,  or  golden  plate  phanius   against   Heresies,   7B 
upon    the    high    priest's    mitre,         ^Cf.  Luke  xviii.4. 
mentioned   in   Ex.   xxviii.36,  38.  *See  Judges  xiii.4,  7. 

See  also  Josephus,  Antiquities  of         Trom  the  Koran,  Sura  iii. 
the  Jews,  111.7 '  Eusebius,  Church         "Cf.  Luke  i.58. 
History,  ii.23,  iii.31,  v.24;    Epi- 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY. 

Birth — David's  Song — Rejoicings — Vision  of  Zacha- 
RiAS — Visits  and  blesses  Mary — Anna's  Song — 
Mary's  First  Birthday — Taken  to  Temple — Anna's 
Song  —  Mary  received  —  Her  Guardian  chosen  — 
Anna  a  Widow — Mary's  Life  in  Temple — Surrounded 
BY  Angels — Her  Manners — Raiment — Fed  by  Angels 
— Praises  God  continually — Personal  Appearance — 
Sought  in  Marriage — Vows  Virginity. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  5-8. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  4-7. 
(3) — Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  5-7. 
(4) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin, 

I,  II  A,  II  B. 
(S) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  3. 

(i)  Now  Anna's  time  was  fulfilled  at  Nazareth,  and  she  bare 
a  child.^  And  she  said  to  the  midwife,  "What  have  I  brought 
forth?"  She  replied,  "A  girl."  Then  did  Anna  say,  "My 
soul  hath  been  magnified  this  day."  And  she  laid  the  child 
down. 

(n)  And  again  she  said,  "Lord,  I  am  delivered  of  a  daughter. 
Thou  knowest  that  Thou  hast  given  her  to  me.  I  have 
named  her  Mary.     I  will  preserve,  through  Thine  assistance, 

^The  Roman  church  celebrates  the  place.     The  last  accords  best 

the  Nativity  of  Mary  on  Sep.  8.  with  apocryphal  authorities.     Ac- 

(4)  says  it  was  the  isth  of  the  cording    to    St.    Idlefonso,    God 

month  Hathor.     Dififerent  tradi-  gave  the  angel  Gabriel  to  Mary 

tions    name    Jerusalem,    Bethle-  a:5  her  guardian  from  her  birth, 
hem,  Sephoris,  and  Nazareth  as 

(    12   ) 


DAVID'S  SONG  13 

her  and  her  posterity  from  the  malice  of  the  devil.  Accept 
her,  Lord,  with  a  pleasing  acceptation,  and  cause  her  to  pro- 
duce good  fruits."^ 

Afterwards,  David  came  into  the  midst  with  his  harp,  and  (4) 
sang  the  praises  of  Anna  and  Joachim,  saying  :- 

"We  exulted  and  were  glad,  instead  of  the  days  that  Thou 
didst  afflict  us.^ 

When  my  heart  was  sad,  Thou  didst  set  me  up  upon  a 
rock.* 

Thou  didst  guide  me.  Thou  didst  bring  me  into  the  broad 
way.° 

Thou   didst  cause   men  to   ride   over  our  heads.   Thou 
broughtest  us  through  fire  and  water."*' 

And  the  neighbors,  hearing  of  the  birth,  brought  Anna  (4) 
their  gifts ;    the  men,  also,  brought  their  gifts  to  Joachim. 
Seven  days  they  spent  eating  and  drinking,  rejoicing  over 
what  God  had  wrought  concerning  this  couple. 

Now,  when  the  days  were  fulfilled,  and  Anna  was  purified,  (i) 
being  washed  with  water,  she  gave  the  breast  to  the  child.  ^4) 
And  when  they  asked  her,  she  said,  "Call  the  name  of  the 
child  Mary,  even  as  it  was  commanded  me  by  the  angel." 
This,  then,  did  her  parents  name  her;   and  there  was  great 
joy  to  them  and  to  all  their  house. 

And  there  was  at  that  time  a  priest  in  the  temple  minister-  (4) 
ing  unto  the  Lord,  whose  name  was  Zacharias ;'  he  was, 
moreover,  old,  even  the  father  of  all  the  people.     Now  this 
man  saw  a  vision  in  the  night.     An  angel  of  the  Lord  ap- 

*Koran,  Sura  iii.  ing,  as  showing  one  of  the  meth- 

^The  document,  (4), from  which  ods  by  which  legend  is  formed, 

this  is  taken,  begins  as  a  homily  ^Ps.  xc.14,  15. 

and  ends  as  a  definite  Apocrj^phal  ^Ps.  xxvii.5. 

Gospel.      This   expression  about  ^See  Job  xxxvi.i6. 

David  probably  meant  no  more,  *Ps.  Ixvi.i2. 

as  first  used  by  the  preacher,  than  ^Luke  i.5.     The  connection  of 

to  say  that  David  had  used  the  Zacharias  with  the  bringing  up 

following  words  which  might  be  of    Mary,    is    not    mentioned    in 

applied   to    Anna    and    Joachim.  scripture,  but    is    widely    recog- 

So,  again,  further  on  in  this  chap-  nized  in  Oriental  legend, 
ter.     The  expression  is  interest- 


14         BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

peared  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  "Thou  son  of  the  old  man 
Barachias,^  these  things  shalt  thou  say  to  Anna  and  Joachim, 
'Keep  your  daughter  a  holy  virgin  for  one  Husband,  Christ.'^ 
And  after  three  years  she  will  be  brought  unto  thee.  Say 
unto  Anna,  'Let  nothing  unclean  enter  thy  mouth,  until  thou 
wean  the  child  from  thy  milk.'  Take  heed  that  after  three 
years  she  be  given  to  thee  as  a  deposit  until  the  day  that  God 
shall  see  fit ;  for  she  is  a  votive  offering  of  heaven." 

(4)  Then  Zacharias,  when  he  had  heard  these  things  in  the 
vision,  awoke  and  wondered  at  what  he  had  heard,  and  glori- 
fied God.  And  when  morning  was  come,  he  was  not  at  all 
careless,  but  he  told  all  these  words  to  Elisabeth  his  wife, 
and  she  rejoiced  greatly;  and  they  arose  and  went  unto 
Joachim.  For  since  Anna  and  Elisabeth  were  the  daugh- 
ters of  two  sisters,^  and  also  Zacharias  and  Joachim  were 
brothers,*  they  were  not  strangers  to  each  other. 

(4)  Now  when  they  had  gone  into  the  house  of  Joachim,  they 
announced  all  the  things  that  the  angel  spake  to  Zacharias. 
And  Anna  said,  "All  things  that  thou  wouldst  say  to  me,  my 
lord  and  father,  have  been  revealed  to  me  before  she  was 
conceived.     And,  also,  I  promised,  saying,  'Whether  it  be 

^Thetextof  (4),  whence  this  is  Elisabeth    full    cousins.     It    ac- 

taken,  reads  "Malachias,"  but  this  cords  better  with  the  indication 

is  plainly  only  an  error  of  tran-  of  their  relative  ages,  given  by 

scription  for  Barachias,  who  is  Luke,  than  the  more  widely  ac- 

generally     identified     with     the  cepted  Church  tradition  given  by 

father  of  the  Zacharias  mentioned  Nicephorus,  which  says  that  Elis- 

in    Mat.    xxiii.35.     Some    docu-  abeth  was  the  daughter  of  Sobe 

ments,   however,    call    Zacharias  the  sister  of  Anna,  and   so  the 

the  son  of    Jojada,  or  Jehoiada,  full  cousin  of  Mary, 

and  this   shows  that   II    Chron.  *I  know  of  no  other  tradition 

xxiv.20-22,  is  probably  the  origin  of  such  a  relationship.     It  is  in- 

of  the  whole  Zacharias   legend.  consistent  with  the  tradition  that 

It    is   an    extensive   one   and    is  Joachim    was    of    the    tribe    of 

fully  discussed  in  Studien  iiber  Judah,  so  that  it  may  come  from 

Zacharias-Apokryphen  und  Zach-  a     Manichaean     source.       Both 

arias-Legenden,   Berendts,  Leip-  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth  are  com- 

sic,  1895.  memorated  by  the  Roman  church 

^11  Cor.  xi.2.  on  Nov.  5. 

^This  would  make  Anna  and 


ANNA'S  SONG  15 

male  or  female,  I  will  give  it  to  the  Lord  for  His  temple.' " 
Moreover,  Zacharias  blessed  the  child  in  the  impulse  of  his 
spirit,  and  departed  and  went  to  Torine^  his  city,  because  that 
Joachim  was  dwelling  at  Nazareth  in  those  days. 

And  Anna  took  the  child  into  her  arms  that  she  might  /  .\ 
wash  her,  and  looking  down  into  her  face,  she  saw  it  full  of 
the  grace  of  God.     And  she  spake  this  song  to  the  Lord, 
whilst  David  the  holy  singer  answered  her,  saying  •?■ 

"Thou  art  the  Lord,  Thou  wilt  exalt  my  people  that  is 
humble  and  wilt  humble  the  eyes  of  the  haughty  ones.^ 

The  Lord  hath  looked  from  heaven  on  the  houses  of  the 
poor,  He  hath  made  them  rich.     Amen.* 

Ye  archangels  of  the  Lord,  come  and  rejoice  with  me,  for 
I  have  known  birth.     Amen. 

Ye  cherubim,  that  are  thrones  for  the  Father,  rejoice  with 
me  also,  for  my  knees  have  carried  the  fruit  of  child.     Amen. 

Ye  cherubim  of  the  Father  with  the  six  wings,  with  the 
four  faces,  with  the  thousand  e\es  full  of  light,^  come  and 
rejoice  with  me,  for  I  have  learned  to  make  melody  to  my 
wise  child.     Amen. 

Ye  four  and  twenty  elders  without  body,^  come  and  rejoice 
with  me,  for  a  deserted  womb  hath  sown  a  seed.     Amen. 

Ye  rulers  of  light,  come  and  rejoice  with  me,  for  I  have 
brought  forth  fruit  of  man.     Amen. 

Ye  stewards  of  joy,  ye  harpers  and  praisers  of  the  Father, 
ye  thrones  and  dominions  and  powers  of  the  Father,'^  come 
and  rejoice  with  me  by  reason  of  my  joy  to-day.^     Amen." 

*This   name   is   given   only   in  Tiphre,    just   before   his    execu- 
(4).     It  is  probably  an  error  of  tion.     Trans.     Soc.    Bib.    Arch., 
transcription  for  the  Greek  term  vol.  ix,  io6. 
for  "hill  country,"  by  which  most  ^Luke  i.52 ;  I  Sam.  ii.8. 
of  the  apocryphal  writers  desig-  *Luke  i.53 ;  I  Sam.  ii.7. 
nate  the  residence  of  Zacharias.  °Is.  vi.2;  Rev.  iv.8. 
According     to     Luke's     Gospel,  "Rev.  iv.4.    See  note  concern- 
Hebron  would   seem  to   be   the  ing  them  in  chap.  XX. 
place     indicated.     Jutta     is     the  'Col.  i.i6. 

later  traditional  name  of  John's  ^Gnostic  traces  are  everywhere 

birthplace.  to  be  discerned  in  this  hymn;  it 

'This  song  resembles  one  said  is  incomplete  at  the  end. 
to  have  been   sung  bv  Isaac  of 


i6         BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

(j)  Now  the  child  increased  in  strength  from  day  to  day;  and 
when  she  was  six  months^  old  her  mother  set  her  on  the 
ground,  to  try  if  she  could  stand.  And  having  walked  seven 
steps,  the  child  came  into  her  mother's  bosom,  who  snatched 
her  up,  saying,  "As  the  Lord  my  God  liveth,  thou  shalt  not 
walk  upon  this  earth,  until  I  bring  thee  into  the  temple  of 
the  Lord."^  And  Anna  made  a  sanctuary  in  her  bedcham- 
ber, and  suffered  nothing  common  or  unclean  to  pass  through 
it.  She  also  called  the  undefiled  daughters  of  the  Hebrews, 
and  they  waited  on  the  child. 

y  .      And  when  Mary's  first  birthday  came,  they  weaned  her; 

(2)  and  Joachim  made  a  great  feast, ^  inviting  the  priests,  the 

^^^  scribes,  the  elders,  and  all  the  people  of  Israel.  And  the 
priests  blessed  the  child  w4ien  Joachim  brought  her  to  them, 
saying,  "O  God  of  our  fathers,  bless  this  child,  and  give  her 
an  everlasting  name  to  be  named  in  all  generations !"  And 
all  the  people  said,  "So  be  it,  so  be  it.  Amen."  And 
Joachim  brought  her  to  the  high  priests ;  and  they  blessed 
her,  saying,  "O  God  most  high,  look  upon  this  child,  and 
bless  her  with  the  utmost  blessing,  which  shall  be  forever!" 
And  her  mother  snatched  her  up,  and  took  her  into  the  sanc- 
tuary of  her  bedchamber,  and  gave  her  the  breast.*  And 
Anna  made  a  song  to  the  Lord  God,  saying:^ 

"I  will  sing  a  song  to  the  Lord  my  God,  for  He  hath 
looked  upon  me,  and  hath  taken  away  the  reproach  of  mine 
enemies ;  and  the  Lord  hath  given  me  the  fruit  of  His  right- 
eousness, singular  in  its  kind,  and  richly  endowed  before 
Him. 

'One  of  the  Mss.  of   (i)   has  *Anna  for  the  moment  relents 

"nine  months."  in   her  purpose  of  weaning  the 

^The  Roman  tradition  says  that  child. 

Mary  was  presented  in  the  tem-  "Anna's  song  of  triumph,  taken 

pie   at   the   end   of   eighty   days  from  (i),  is  certainly  suggested 

after  her  birth.  by  that  of  Hannah  under  similar 

^In  (i),  this  took  place  at  end  circumstances.     See  I  Sam.  ii.i- 

of  first  year;    in   (2),   (3),  and  10.    More  of  the  substance  of  the 

(5),  at   end  of  third  year.    At  latter  is  contained  in  the  preced- 

the  time  of  weaning,  such  a  feast  ing  song, 
was  customary.     See  Gen.  xxi.8. 


MARY  PRESENTED  IN  THE  TEMPLE         17 

Who  shall  tell  the  sons  of  Rubim  that  Anna  giveth  the 
breast  ? 

Hear,  hear,  ye  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  that  Anna  giveth  the 
breast !" 

And  Anna  laid  the  child  to  rest  in  the  sanctuary  of  her  (i) 
bedchamber,  and  going  out,  served  the  guests.     And  when 
the  supper  was  ended,  they  went  away  rejoicing,  and  glorify- 
ing the  God  of  Israel. 

Now  months  were  added  to  the  child,  and  she  was  two  (i) 
years  old.  Then  said  Joachim,  "Let  us  take  her  up  to  the 
temple  of  the  Lord,  that  we  may  pay  the  vow  that  we  have 
vowed,  lest  perchance  the  Lord  send  to  us,  and  our  offering 
be  not  received."^  And  Anna  said,  "Let  us  wait  for  the 
third  year,  in  order  that  the  child  may  not  seek  for  father  or 
mother,"     And  Joachim  said,  "Let  us  wait." 

And  when  the  child  became  three  3'ears  old,^  Joachim  said,  (i) 
"Call  the  undefiled  daughters  of  the  Hebrews,  and  let  them 
take  each  a  lamp;  and  let  them  stand  with  the  lamps  burning, 
that  the  child  may  not  turn  back,  and  her  heart  be  captivated 
from  the  temple  of  the  Lord."^ 

Now  there  were  around  the  temple  and  before  its  doors,  (2) 
fifteen  steps  going  up,  according  to  the  fifteen  Psalms  of  ^^^ 
Degrees  f  for,  on  account  of  the  temple  having  been  built  on 
a  mountain,  the  altar  of  burnt-offering,  which  stood  outside, 
could  not  be  reached  except  by  steps.^     On  one  of  these, 

^Probably  means,  "Send  some-  two  months,  and   thirteen   days 

one  to  admonish  us  that  we  have  old.     References  to  this  presen- 

been    top    long    in    paying    our  tation  are  found  in  many  of  the 

vow."    One  Ms.  reads,  "lest  the  Church  fathers,  whom  it  would 

Lord  depart  from  us" ;    another,  be  tedious  to  enumerate, 

"lest  the  Lord  move  away  from  ''The    idea    seems    to    be    that 

us."  turning    back    would    be    a    bad 

^The  Roman  church  keeps  the  omen ;  the  lights  would  hold  the 

feast  of  the  Presentation  of  B.  V,  child's  attention  whilst  entering 

M.  in  the  Temple,  on  Nov.  21,  the  temple,  and  so  prevent  her 

commemorating  on  this  day  both  from  doing  this, 

the  earlier  presentation  when  she  *Ps.    cxx-cxxxiv. 

was    eighty    days    old,   and   this  ^There    is    no    certainty   about 

later  one,   which   it   states  took  this.     Some  say  that  the  fifteen 

place  when  Mary  was  two  years,  steps  led  up  from  the  court  of 


i8         BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

then,  the  parents  placed  the  Httle  girl  Mary.  And  when  they 
were  putting  ofif  the  clothes  which  they  had  worn  on  the 
journey,  and  were  putting  on,  as  was  usual,  others  that  were 
neater  and  cleaner,  the  virgin  of  the  Lord,  without  the  help 
of  any  one  leading  her  or  lifting  her,  and  not  looking  back  at 
all,  went  swiftly  up  all  the  steps  one  after  the  other,  in  such 
a  manner  that,  in  this  respect  at  least,  one  would  think  that 
she  had  already  attained  full  age. 

(2)  And  she  walked  by  herself  and  went  unto  the  holy  altar, 

(3)  and  stood  there.  Nor  did  she,  as  children  are  wont  to  do, 
seek  for  her  parents.  But  they,  each  of  them,  anxiously 
seeking  for  the  child,  were  alike  astonished  when  they  found 
her  in  the  temple ;  and  the  priests  themselves  wondered. 
And  Mary's  face  became  bright,  straightway,  and  she  was 
dazzling  as  the  luminaries  of  heaven.  And  all  the  people  of 
Israel  looked,  and  they  saw  the  grace  shine  upon  her,  so  that 
everyone  marvelled.  For  already  the  Lord,  in  the  infancy  of 
the  virgin,  wrought  a  great  thing,  and  by  this  miracle  fore- 
shadowed how  great  she  was  to  be. 

(2)  Then  Anna,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  said  before  them 
all:^ 

"The  Lord  Almighty,  the  God  of  Hosts,  being  mindful  of 
His  word,  hath  visited  His  people  with  a  good  and  holy  vis- 
itation, to  bring  down  the  hearts  of  the  Gentiles  who  were 
rising  against  us,  and  turn  them  to  Himself. 

He  hath  opened  His  ears  to  our  prayers ;  He  hath  kept 
away  from  us  the  exulting  of  our  enemies. 

The  barren  hath  become  a  mother,  and  hath  brought  forth 
exultation  and  gladness  to  Israel. 

Behold  the  gifts  which  I  have  brought  to  offer  to  my  Lord, 
and  mine  enemies  have  not  been  able  to  hinder  me. 

For  God  hath  turned  their  hearts  to  me,  and  Himself  hath 
given  me  everlasting  joy." 

the  women  to  that  of  the  priests.  the  fact  that  Mary  was  able  to 

One    tradition    says    that    these  ascend  them  unaided. 

steps   were   each   half  an   ell   in  'Evidently  largely  suggested  by 

height,   which  adds  to  the   sur-  Ps.  cxiii. 

prise  implied  in  the  account,  over 


MARY  RECEIVED  IN  THE  TEMPLE  19 

And  the  priest  received  Mary,  and  kissed  her,  and  blessed  (i) 
her,  saying,  "The  Lord  hath  magnified  thy  name  in  all  gen-  >^( 
erations.     In  thee,  on  the  last  of  days,  the  Lord  will  manifest  (5) 
His  redemption  to  the  sons  of  Israel."     And  he  set  her  down 
upon  the  third  step  of  the  altar.     And  she  danced  with  her 
feet,  and  all  the  house  of  Israel  loved  her.     And  she  went 
no  more  with  her  parents  to  their  house.^     But  they,  a  sacri- 
fice having  been  offered  according  to  the  law,  and  their  vow 
being  perfected,  left  the  virgin  within  the  enclosure  of  the 
temple,  there  to  be  educated  with  the  other  virgins.-     And 
they  themselves  went  down  to  their  house,  marvelling  and 
praising  the  Lord  because  the  child  had  not  turned  back. 

Now  the  same  year  Anna,  who  was  very  beautiful,  became  (n  ) 
a  widow,  and  by  the  command  of  the  Lord  she  married  Cleo- 
phas  to  whom  within  a  year  she  bare  a  daughter,  who  also 
was  called  Mary.  And  afterwards  this  Mary  became  the  wife 
of  Alphaeus ;  of  her  were  born  James  the  son  of  Alphaeus, 
and  Philip  his  brother.  But  Cleophas  himself  died  before 
the  birth  of  the  child.  And  yet  again  Anna,  by  the  com- 
mand of  an  angel,  married  a  third  husband  named  Salome, 
to  whom  also  she  bare  a  daughter,  who  was  likewise  called 
Mary.  She  afterwards  was  given  to  Zebedee  to  wife ;  and 
of  her  were  born  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  the 
evangelist.^ 

But  the  priests  in  the  temple  disputed  as  to  which  of  them  (n  ) 

^4)  here  adds,  that  "her  par-  It  rests  on  no  substantial  histor- 
ents  used  to  come  to  her  every  ical  foundation,  ahhough  de- 
two  or  three  days  to  visit  her."  fended  by  many  writers.  See,  as 
(5)  adds,  that  "Mary  remained  regards  widows,  Luke  ii.37. 
in  the  temple  nine  years,"  but  ^This  paragraph  is  formed  from 
this  does  not  accord  with  the  traditions  embodied  in  a  legend 
chronology  which  I  have  adopt-  of  St.  Anna,  of  the  sixteenth 
ed,  making  her  remain  there  century,  quoted  in  Migne,  II,  col. 
until  the  age  of  fourteen,  or  105.  It  is  probably  founded 
eleven  years.  upon   older  apocrypha,  and  has 

The  tradition  that  virgins,  and  intrinsic  interest.     It  is  embodied 

even  widows,  regularly  served  in  also    in    certain    Mss.    of     (2). 

the    temple,    is    frequently    men-  See  Tischendorf's  notes  on  chap, 

tioned   in   apocryphal    literature.  42  of  same. 


20         BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

should  have  the  care  of  Mary  during  her  childhood;  and 
they  finally  agreed  to  settle  the  matter  by  lot.  All  of  them, 
then,  and  they  were  twenty-five  in  number,  threw  into  the 
waters  of  the  Jordan  reeds  covered  with  inscriptions  taken 
from  the  law.  And  the  reed  which  belonged  to  Zacharias 
having  alone  floated,  to  him  was  given  the  care  over  Mary.^ 
(2)  And  the  virgin  of  the  Lord  was  held  in  admiration  by  all 
C3)  the  people  of  Israel.  Even  when  she  was  three  years  old, 
she  walked  with  a  step  so  mature,  she  spake  so  perfectly,  and 
spent  her  time  so  assiduously  in  the  praises  of  God,  that  all 
were  astonished  at  her,  and  wondered;  she  was  not  reck- 
oned as  a  young  infant,  but  as  it  were  a  grown-up  person  of 
thirty  years  old.  She  advanced  in  age  and  in  virtues ;  and 
though  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  her  father  and  mother 
had  forsaken  her,  the  Lord  took  her  up.^ 

(2)  For  daily  did  she  enjoy  a  divine  vision,  which  preserved 

(3)  her  from  all  evil,  and  made  her  to  abound  in  all  good.  Daily 
was  she  visited  by  the  angels  of  God,  who  were  often  seen 
speaking  to  her,  who  ministered  to  her,  diligently  obeying 
her,  and  who  surrounded  her  day  and  night. 

(4)  And  when  she  grew  a  little,  she  put  away  from  her  all  vain 
intercourse,  and  her  heart  she  turned  from  all  the  beauty  of 
this  life.  There  came  to  her  no  thought  of  her  parents  nor 
of  this  world.  She  never  adorned  herself,  nor  did  she  seek 
after  outward  show  as  women  do.  She  never  painted  her 
eyes,^  nor  put  saflfron  on  her  cheeks,  nor  plaited  her  hair. 
She  did  not  put  choice  perfume  upon  her,  nor  did  she  anoint 
her  body  with  ointment.  She  did  not  bathe  nor  wash  with 
water,*  nor  did  she  put  her  face  outside  the  door,  lest  she 
should  see  a  strange  man. 

^This  legend  is  given  by  Migne,  Egyptian  custom.  The  same  may 
I,  col.  1064  n.  No  reference  is  be  said  of  the  other  practices  re- 
given,   but   it   is    said   to   be   of  ferred  to. 

Oriental      origin.      The      Koran  ^One  of  the  great  virtues  as- 

states    that    Zacharias    was    en-  sumed    by    ascetics,    particularly 

trusted  with  the  special  care  over  those  of  the  Egyptian  and  Syrian 

Mary.  schools.     Many  disgusting  illus- 

^Ps.  xxvii.io  trations  of  this  might  be  given 

^This,  from  (4),  alludes  to  an  from  the  Lives  of  the  Saints. 


MARY  FED  BY  THE  ANGELS  21 

Her  raiment,  which  was  always  of  the  natural  colours/  (4) 
never  became  foul  nor  wore  out  nor  tore ;  but  that  which  her 
mother  put  upon  her  on  the  day  that  she  gave  her  to  the 
temple,  remained  upon  her  until  the  day  of  her  death.  As 
regards  that  which  Mary  increased  daily,  the  raiment  became 
greater  with  her.^  Nor  did  she  ever  see  the  nakedness  of  her 
body ;  but  when  she  was  about  to  wear  a  garment  she  would 
shut  her  eyes. 

And  Mary  was  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord  as  if  she  were  a  (i) 
dove  that  dwelt  there,  for  she  received  her  food  from  heaven  (-) 
by  the  hands  of  the  angels.^  And  oftentimes  also,  they  would 
bring  her  the  fruits  from  the  tree  of  life,  that  she  might  eat 
of  them  with  cheerfulness.  Nor  did  she  eat  as  though  nour- 
ishing a  body,  but  only  because  of  the  necessities  of  her 
nature,  lest  she  should  die  before  her  time.*  And  she  re- 
freshed herself  only  with  the  food  which  she  received  from 
the  hands  of  the  angels,  but  that  which  she  obtained  from  the 
priests  she  divided  amongst  the  poor.  And  as  often  as 
Zacharias  came  to  her  chamber  and  found  the  angelic  food  by 
her,  he  asked  her,  "Whence  came  this  to  thee?"  And  she 
said,  "From  God,  for  God  feedeth  whom  He  will."^ 

Anna  the  prophetess  and  the  virgins  that  were  in  the  temple  (2) 
having  taught  Mary  to  do  handiwork,  she  occupied  herself  (4) 
constantly  with  wool-work  and  weaving,  so  that  she  in  her  ten- 
der years  could  do  all  that  mature  women  were  not  able  to  do. 

And  this  was  the  order  that  she  had  set  for  herself :    From  (2) 
the  morning  to  the  third  hour,  she  remained  in  prayer ;  from 
the  third  to  the  ninth,  she  was  occupied  with  her  weaving; 

^Nicephorus,  Book  II,  chap.  23.  lished  by  Prof.  Rossi,  Pap.  Cop. 

^We  will  find  the  same  story  vol.  I,  fasc.  II,  p.  40.    A  strange 

told  later  of  the  garments  worn  compilation,  basing  the  duty  of 

by  John  Baptist  and  Christ.  an  ascetic  life  for  virgins  upon 

^Statement      found      also      in  the    life    of    Mary.     (4)    shares 

Koran.      Possibly   this   idea   has  this    character    throughout,    and 

reference  to  the  eucharist.     See  much  of  what  it  says  about  the 

John  vi.31 ;  Ex.  xvi.15.    See  also,  life  of  Mary  in  the  temple  is  only 

I  Kings  xix.5,  and  chap.  XXXI  the   reflection  of  later  monastic 

of  this  work.  rules. 

*From     Turin     Papyrus,    pub-  ''Koran,  Suras  iii,  xxxvii. 
6 


22  BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

and  from  the  ninth,  she  again  appHed  herself  to  prayer.^ 
She  did  not  retire  from  praying  until  there  appeared  to  her 
the  angel  from  whose  hand  she  used  to  receive  food ;  and 
thus  she  became  more  and  more  perfect  in  the  work  of  God. 
When  the  older  virgins  rested  from  the  praises  of  God,  she 
did  not  rest  at  all ;  so  that  in  His  vigils  and  praises  none  were 
found  before  her.  And  lest,  perchance,  even  in  her  saluta- 
tion she  might  cease  from  praising  and  blessing  God,  when 
any  one  saluted  her,  she  used  to  answer  by  way  of  salutation, 
"Thanks  be  to  God."  And  from  her  the  custom  first  began 
of  men's  saying  this,  when  they  saluted  each  other.^ 
(2)  None  were  more  learned  than  Mary  in  the  wisdom  of  the 
law  of  God,  more  lowly  in  humility,  more  elegant  in  singing, 
more  perfect  in  all  virtue.  She  was  indeed  stedfast,  un- 
moveable,^  unchangeable,  and  daily  advancing  in  perfection. 
She  spake  very  little,  and  indeed  only  what  was  necessary, 
but  then  with  a  becoming  modesty,  without  laughter,  embar- 
rassment, or  pride.  Yet  she  was  very  affable,  and  showed  to 
all  due  reverence  and  respect.*  No  one  saw  her  angry,  nor 
heard  her  speaking  evil.  All  her  speech  was  so  full  of  grace 
that  her  God  was  acknowledged  to  be  in  her  tongue,  and  she 
was  anxious  lest  by  any  word  of  hers  she  should  sin  with 
regard  to  her  companions.  She  was  afraid  lest  in  her 
laughter,  or  the  sound  of  her  beautiful  voice,  she  should  com- 
mit any  fault,  or  lest,  being  elated,  she  should  display  any 
wrong-doing  or  haughtiness  to  one  of  her  equals.  And  she 
was  always  sitting,  her  face  looking  eastward,^  because  she 
was  praying  without  ceasing,®  offering  her  petitions  to  her 
spouse  and  bridegroom,  Christ. 

^For  the  early  hours  of  prayer,  ^I  Cor.  xv.58. 

closely  followed  here,  see  Apos-  "This,  with  one  or  two  other 

tolic   Constitutions,   Book   VIII,  particulars  in  this  paragraph,  is 

chap.  34,  and  the  Letters  of  Je-  taken  from  Nicephorus,  Book  II, 

rome.  chap.  23. 

'Another  monastic  custom,  the  ^Orientation,    older    than    the 

origin   of   which   is   here   attrib-  Christian  church,  very  early  came 

uted  to  Mary.     The  use  of  this  into  Catholic  use.     See  note  on 

expression   is   prescribed   in  the  chap.  XIII. 

rule  of  St.  Benedict.  *I  Thes.  v.17. 


MARY'S  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  23 

Alary  was  of  medium  stature,  and  her  body  was  in  all  (2) 
respects  graceful  and  well  proportioned.  She  was  somewhat 
delicate  in  appearance,  and  her  colour  was  like  that  of  ripe 
wheat.  Her  face  was  oval  rather  than  pointed ;  her  hair  was 
golden,  and  she  wore  it  bound  up ;  her  eyes  were  large  and 
piercing,  inclining  to  blue  in  colour;^  her  eyebrows  were 
arched  and  somewhat  dark ;  her  nose  was  rather  long ;  and 
her  lips  were  fresh,  and  full  of  loveliness  in  speech.  Her 
hands  and  fingers  were  long.  Her  appearance  was  so  beauti- 
ful and  glorious  that  scarcely  any  one  could  look  into  her 
face,  and  if  any  one  who  was  unwell  touched  her,  the  same 
hour  he  went  home  cured. - 

Then  Abiathar^  the  priest  offered  gifts  without  end  to  the  (2) 
high  priest,  in  order  that  he  might  obtain  her  for  a  wife  to 
his  son.  But  Mary  forbade  them,  saying,  "It  cannot  be  that 
I  should  have  a  husband."  But  all  the  priests  and  all  her 
kindred  kept  saying  to  her,  ''God  is  worshipped  in  children 
and  adored  in  posterity,  as  hath  always  happened  among  the 
sons  of  Israel."  But  Mary  answered,  and  said  unto  them, 
"God  is  worshipped  in  chastity,  as  is  proved  by  the  first  of 
all.  For  before  AbeP  there  was  none  righteous  among  men, 
and  he  by  his  offerings  pleased  God,  and  was  without  mercy 
slain  by  him  who  displeased  Him.  Two  crowns,  therefore, 
he  received — of  oblation  and  of  virginity,  because  in  his  flesh 
there  was  no  pollution.     Elijah^  also,  when  he  was  in  the 

*Thus     in     Historia      Christi,  ^He  is  later  on  called  the  high 

Xaverius;     I    think    this    is    the  priest   in    (2).     Some   Mss.   call 

prevalent  tradition.    According  to  him  Abyacar.    A  high  priest  of 

Nicephorus,  her  eyes  were  olive-  the  former  name  is  mentioned  in 

coloured.  I    Sam.    xxii.23,    which   passage 

°I  have  combined  in  this  para-  has  doubtless  suggested  the  ap- 

graph  the  traditions  reported  by  plication  here. 

Nicephorus  in  Book  11,  chap.  23,  *The    virginity    of    Abel    was 

and  by  Xaverius  in  his  Historia  maintained     by     many     Church 

Christi,  p.  30.     There  are  many  writers,    amongst    them,     Beda, 

such   in   Church   writers,   and  a  Bonaventura,   Bernard,   and   AI- 

number  of  late  works  on  the  sub-  bertus  Magnus, 

ject.     That    St.    Luke   painted   a  °The  same  may  be  said  as  to 

portrait   of  Mary   in   colours,  is  Elijah,  e.  g.  Cassian,  Epiphanius. 

reported  by   Nicephorus.  John  of  Damascus,  and  Jerome. 


24         BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD  OF  MARY 

flesh,  was  taken  up  in  the  flesh,  because  he  kept  his  flesh  un- 
spotted. Now  I,  from  my  infancy  in  the  temple  of  God, 
have  learned  that  virginity  can  be  sufficiently  dear  to  God. 
And  so,  because  I  can  offer  what  is  dear  to  God,  I  have 
resolved  in  my  heart  that  I  shall  remain  a  virgin." 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION. 

Mary  refuses  to  leave  the  Temple — Council  of  the 
People — Joseph — Council  of  Priests — Oracle  con- 
sulted— Rods  put  into  Holy  of  Holies — Joseph's  Rod 
— ^DovE  comes  forth — ^Joseph  is  unwilling — The 
Betrothal — Virgins  chosen  to  make  Veil — Angel 
speaks  to  Zacharias — Virgins  retire  to  Joseph's 
House — Annunciation  at  the  Fountain — In  Mary's 
Bedchamber — Mary's  Reply. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  8-11. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  8-9 
(3) — Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  7-9. 
(4) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin, 

II  B. 
(5) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  2-5,  14. 
(15) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Bohairic  Ver- 
sion, 2-5,  14. 
(22) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Frag- 
ments, I,  2-5. 

Now  Mary  had  reached  her  fourteenth^  year ;  and  not  only  z^) 
were  the  wicked  unable  to  charge  her  with  anything  worthy  (3) 
of  reproach,  but  all  good  men  who  knew  her  life  and  con- 
versation, judged  her  to  be  worthy  of  admiration.     But  on 

*This  is  the  age  given  in   (2)  the  older  writers,  c.  g.  Evodius, 

and  (3).     It  accords  better  with  Hippolytus,       JMichael       Glycas. 

other  chronology  and  is  accepted  Different  Mss.  of  the  four  docu- 

by  most  later  writers;    but   (i)  ments  mentioned  also  give  each 

and  (5)  say  "twelve  years,"  and  of  these  ages, 
this  age  is  favoured  by  most  of 

25 


26  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

account  of  her  age  there  was  occasion  for  the  Pharisees  to 
say,  that  it  was  not  the  custom  for  a  woman  of  her  maturity 
to  abide  in  the  temple  of  God.  Then  the  high  priest  pubhcly 
announced  that  the  virgins  who  were  settled  in  the  temple, 
and  had  reached  this  time  of  life,  should  return  home  and 
seek  to  be  married,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  nation, 
and  the  ripeness  of  their  years. 
(3)  The  others  readily  obeyed  this  command,  but  Mary  alone, 
the  virgin  of  the  Lord,  answered  that  she  could  not  do  so, 
saying,  both  that  her  parents  had  devoted  her  to  the  service 
of  the  Lord  and  that,  moreover,  she  herself  had  made  to  the 
Lord  a  vow  of  virginity,  which  she  would  never  violate. 
/•jN  The  high  priest,^  then,  being  placed  in  great  perplexity  of 
(2)  mind,  seeing  that  neither  did  he  think  that  the  vow  should  be 
Al  broken  contrary  to  the  scripture,  which  saith,  "Vow  and 
(15)  pay,"^  nor  did  he  dare  to  introduce  a  custom  unknown  to  the 
nation,  gave  order  that  at  the  festival,  which  was  at  hand, 
all  the  chief  persons  from  Jerusalem  and  the  neighbourhood 
should  be  present,  in  order  that  from  their  advice  he  might 
know  what  was  to  be  done  in  so  doubtful  a  case.  So  they 
fell  upon  the  plan  of  sending  heralds  through  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel,  that  all  might  come  together  unto  the  temple  of  the 
Lord.  Then  the  heralds  went  out,  the  trumpet  of  the  Lord 
sounded,  and  all  the  people  ran  together.  And  Joseph  the 
carpenter,  of  the  house  and  family  of  David,  also  cast  down 
his  axe,  and  went  out  to  meet  the  heralds.^ 

^One  document  names  Abiathar  smith,  or  a  stonemason.     He  is 

and  another,  Zacharias  as  being  commemorated    by    the    Roman 

high  priest  at  this  time.     I  adopt  church,  on  Mar.  19.     So  high  is 

the  latter  tradition,  although,  of  the  reverence  shown  him  in  that 

course,  there  is  no  authority  for  communion,  that  he  has  by  books 

the  idea  that  the  father  of  John  of  authority  been  called  a  con- 

the  Baptist  ever  held  this  office ;  fessor,  a  patriarch,  a  colleague  of 

but     Ambrose,     Augustine,    and  the  Holy  Spirit,  even  "the  third 

many  others  have  held  that  he  Person     of    the     Holy     Trinity 

did.  reigning  upon  earth."     (i)   says 

^Num.  XXX.2 ;    Deut.  xxiii.21 ;  that,      "an      angel      commanded 

Eccles.  V.  4,  5.  Zacharias    to    send    out    heralds 

^Various  traditions  also  allege  summoning  the  widowers  of  Is- 

that  Joseph  was  a  smith,  a  gold-  rael." 


JOSEPH  THE  CARPENTER  27 

Now  this  man,  a  native  of  Bethlehem,  was  well  furnished  (3) 
with  wisdom  and  learning,and  had  been  made  a  priest^  in  the  \^K 
temple  of  God.     When  he  was  forty  years  old,  after  the  man-  (22} 
ner  of  all  men,  he  married  a  wife.^     And  she  bare  him  four 
sons  whose  names  were  Judas,  Joses,  James,  and  Simon  f 
and  two  daughters  named  Assia  and  Lydia.*     And  after 
forty-nine  years  under  his  care,  Joseph's  wife,  a  woman  in- 
tent on  the  divine  glory  in  all  her  works,  departed  this  life, 
even  as  it  is  appointed  unto  all  men,  leaving  James  still  little. 
But  Joseph,  who  was  a  righteous  man,  glorifying  God  in  all 
things,  went  away  with  two  of  his  sons,  working  at  his  trade 
of  carpentry,  at  which  he  was  skilful,  and  living  by  the  work 
of  his  hands,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses.     And  he  had 
now  for  a  year  been  a  widower. 

When,  now,  all  the  people  had  come  together,  the  high  (2) 
priest  rose,  and  mounted  on  a  higher  step  that  he  migfit  be 
seen  and  heard  by  all ;  and  when  great  silence  had  been  at- 
tained, he  said,  "Hear  me,  O  sons  of  Israel,  and  receive  my 
words  into  your  ears.  Ever  since  this  temple  was  built  by 
Solomon,  there  have  been  in  it  virgins,  the  daughters  of 
kings  and  the  daughters  of  prophets  and  of  high  priests  and 
priests ;    and  they  were  great,  and  worthy  of  admiration. 

^Inconsistent  with  his  descent  note    on    chap.    XIII.     In    (i), 

•from  the  tribe  of  Judah.  chap.    17,    still    another    brother 

"Nicephorus  says  that  Joseph's  named    Samuel    is    mentioned, 
first    wife    was    named    Salome,  *(iS)     calls    them    Lysia    and 

and    was    the    daughter   of    Ag-  Lydia;     other     Church     writers, 

gaeus,  the  brother  of  Zacharias,  Mary  and  Salome,  Anna  and  Sa- 

the  father  of  John  the  Baptist.  lome,  and   Esther  and  Thamar. 

Jerome     says     she     was     called  Theophylactus  names  three,  Es- 

Escha.  A  majority  of  the  Church  ther,  Thamar,  and  Salome.     For 

writers  accept  the  tradition  that  Lydia,    see    Acts   xvi.14.     Some 

Joseph  was  a  widower,  although  versions    identify    the    seller    of 

some  deny  it.  purple    with    Joseph's    daughter. 

'According  to  (5),  chap.  11,  Assia  is  the  name  given  in  Mo- 
Justus  and  Simon  were  the  eldest  hammedan  legend  to  the  wife  of 
of  these  four  brothers.  In  (2),  Pharaoh,  who  protected  Joseph, 
chap.  42,  Joses  is  named  instead  I  can  readily  see  how  the  name 
of  Justus,  which  name  I  substi-  might  have  gotten  into  the  above 
tute   here    and    elsewhere.      See  Egyptian  document. 


28  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

But  when  they  came  to  the  proper  age  they  were  given  in 
marriage,  and  followed  the  course  of  their  mothers  before 
them,  and  were  pleasing  to  God.  But  a  new  order  of  life 
hath  been  found  out  by  Mary  alone,  who  promiseth  that  she 
will  remain  a  virgin  to  God.  Wherefore  it  seemeth  to  me, 
that  through  our  inquiry  and  the  answer  of  God,  we  should 
try  to  ascertain  to  whose  keeping  she  ought  to  be  entrusted." 
Then  these  words  found  favour  with  all  the  assemblage, 
(i)  And  there  was  also  held  a  council  of  the  priests,  saying, 
(3)  ''Behold,  Mary  hath  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years  in  the 
temple  of  the  Lord.  What,  then,  shall  we  do  with  her,  lest 
perchance  she  defile  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord  ?"^  And  when 
this  took  place,  they  resolved  unanimously  that  the  Lord 
should  be  consulted  upon  this  matter.  And  they  said  to  the 
high  priest,  "Thou  standest  by  the  altar  of  the  Lord ;  go  in, 
and  pray  concerning  her ;  and  whatever  the  Lord  shall  mani- 
fest unto  thee,  that  also  will  we  do."  And  when  they  all 
bowed  themselves  in  prayer,  the  high  priest  went  in  to  con- 
sult God  in  the  usual  way,  taking  the  robe  with  the  twelve 
bells  into  the  holy  of  holies  f  and  he  prayed  concerning  her.^ 
(i)  Nor  had  they  long  to  wait.  In  the  hearing  of  all,  a  voice 
(3)  issued  from  the  oracle  and  from  the  mercy-seat,*  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  a  man  should  be  sought 
out  to  whom  the  virgin  ought  to  be  entrusted  and  espoused. 
And,  behold,  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  the  high  priest, 
saying  unto  him,  "Zacharias,  Zacharias,  go  out  and  assemble 
the  people,  and  let  them  bring  each  his  rod.  And  to  whom- 
soever the  Lord  shall  show  a  sign,  his  wife  shall  she  be." 
For  it  is  clear  that  Isaiah  saith,  "A  rod  shall  come  forth  from 
the  root  of  Jesse,  and  a  flower  shall  ascend  from  his  root; 
and  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  rest  upon  him,  the  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  understanding,  the  spirit  of  counsel  and  strength, 

*The  reference  is  to  the  cere-  two.     See    also    Num.    xxvii.21. 

monial  uncleanness  of  the  men-  ^This  paragraph  from  (i)  and 

strual  period.  (3),  and  the  foregoing  one  from 

*See  Ex. xxviii.33-35  ;  xxxix.2S,  (2),  really  are  but  different  ac- 

26.     The  Rabbins  said  the  num-  counts  of  the  same  council. 

ber  of  these  bells  was  seventy-  *See  Num.  vii.89. 


JOSEPH'S  ROD  29 

the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  piety,  and  he  shall  be  filled  with  the 
spirit  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord."^  According  to  this  prophecy, 
therefore,  he  predicted  that  all  of  the  house  of  David  that 
were  unmarried  and  fit  for  marriage  should  bring  their  rods 
to  the  altar;  and  that  he  whose  rod  after  it  was  brought 
should  produce  a  flower,  and  upon  the  end  of  whose  rod  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  should  settle  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  was 
the  man  to  whom  the  virgin  ought  to  be  entrusted  and 
espoused. 

Then  lots  were  cast  by  the  priests  upon  the  twelve  tribes,  (i) 
and  the  lot  fell  upon  the  tribe  of  Judah.  And  the  priest  said,  y}^ 
"To-morrow  let  every  one  who  hath  no  wife  come,  and  bring 
a  rod  in  his  hand."  And  the  rods,  to  the  number  of  three 
thousand,  having  been  handed  over  to  the  high  priest  on  the 
morrow,  he  offered  a  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  God,  and  inquired 
of  Him,  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  "Put  all  their  rods 
into  the  holy  of  holies  of  God,  and  let  them  remain  there,  and 
order  them  to  come  to  thee  on  the  morrow,  to  get  back  their 
rods."  Now  when  all  brought  their  rods,  according  to  the 
order,  Joseph  also,  seeing  that  he  had  not  a  wife,  and  not 
wishing  to  slight  the  order  of  the  high  priest,  brought  his 
along  with  the  younger  men. 

Now  Joseph's  rod  was  a  short  one,  but  it  had  had  a  won-  (n) 
derful  history,  God  made  it  on  the  sixth  day  of  creation, 
and  upon  it  was  engraven  His  incommunicable  name.^  Adam 
received  it  from  his  son  Seth,  who  brought  it  out  of  paradise ; 
and  from  him  it  descended  to  Enoch,  to  Noah,  to  Shem,  to 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Jacob  took  it  down  into  Egypt, 
where  before  his  death  he  gave  it  to  his  son  Joseph.  When, 
after  Joseph's  death,  the  lords  of  Egypt  spoiled  his  goods, 
they  carried  away  the  rod  to  Pharoah's  palace,  where  it  came 
into  the  hands  of  Raguel,  a  magician,  who  carried  it  into  the 
land  of  Midian,  and  planted  it  there  in  his  garden.  No  one 
was  able  to  come  near  it  until  Moses  came,  who  read  the  let- 

^Is.  xi.i,  2.  to    the    Rabbins,     see     Baring- 
Tor  some  account  of  the  in-  Gould's  Legends  of  Old  Testa- 
communicable     name     and     the  ment  Characters,  and  Eisenmen- 
wonders  wrought  by  it  according  ger's  Entdecktes  Judenthum. 


30  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

ters  that  were  upon  it,  and  immediately  pulled  it  up.  When 
Jethro  saw  this,  he  said,  "This  is  the  man  who  shall  deliver 
Israel  from  Egypt ;"  and  on  this  account  he  gave  Moses  his 
daughter  Zipporah  to  wife.  With  this  staff,  Moses  kept 
Jethro's  flock  forty  years,  and  not  a  single  animal  was  in- 
jured by  wild  beasts ;  with  it,  later,  Moses  also  performed 
his  wonders,  and  finally  gave  it  to  Aaron.  David  received  it 
for  a  sceptre,  and  the  prophets  sing  of  the  root  of  Jesse,  until 
it  finally  came  to  Joseph  and  the  Messiah.^ 
(i)  On  the  following  day,  then,  all  having  assembled  early, 
(2)  and  an  incense  offering  having  been  made,  the  high  priest 
went  into  the  holy  of  holies,  and  brought  forth  the  rods. 
And  when  he  had  distributed  the  rods,  but  the  dove  came 
forth  out  of  none  of  them,  the  high  priest  thought  it  neces-» 
sary  to  consult  God  a  second  time;  so  he  put  on  the  twelve 
bells  and  the  sacerdotal  robe,  and  entering  into  the  holy  of 
holies,  he  there  made  a  burnt  offering,  and  poured  forth  a 
prayer.  And  an  angel  of  God  appeared,  saying,  "There  is 
here  a  very  short  rod  which  thou  hast  counted  for  nothing, 
and  hast  placed  it  with  the  rest,  but  hast  not  taken  it  out 
with  the  rest ;  when  thou  hast  taken  that  out  and  given  it  to 
him  to  whom  it  belongeth,  there  shall  appear  in  it  the  sign 
which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of."  It  was  the  rod  of  Joseph, 
and  because  he  was  old,^  he  was  as  it  were  discarded,  as 
though  he  could  not  receive  it ;  but  neither  would  he  himself 
ask  for  his  rod.  And  when  be  stood  humble  and  the  last,  the 
chief  priest  with  a  loud  voice  cried  to  him,  saying,  "Come, 
Joseph,  and  receive  thy  rod,  because  thou  art  waited  for." 
And  Joseph  came  fearing,  because  the  high  priest  called  him 
with  so  very  loud  a  voice.  But  as  soon  as  he  stretched  forth 
his  hand  to  receive  his  rod,  immediately  from  the  top  of  it 

'This  paragraph  is  taken  from  ^According  to  (5),  Joseph  was 

Eisenmenger's     Entdecktes     Ju-  ninety    years    old    at    this    time, 

denthum,  vol.  I,  p.  ZTJ,  seq. ;  vol.  This    tradition   of   great   age    is 

II,  p.  764,  seq.     See  also  legends  nearly  universal  with  the  Church 

of  the  cross  given  in  chap.  XXV  writers ;  but  Gerson  says  that  he 

of  the  present  work.     The  staff  was  fifty,  and  Viguerius,  that  he 

or  rod  legends  and  those  of  the  was  but  a  youth, 
cross  are  closely  intertwined. 


MARY  BETROTHED  TO  JOSEPH  31 

came  forth  a  dove,  whiter  than  snow  and  most  beautiful, 
which  after  resting  upon  the  head  of  Joseph,  and  fluttering 
a  long  time  among  the  pinnacles  of  the  temple,  at  length 
flew  toward  the  heavens.^ 

And  the  priest  said  to  Joseph,  "Thou  hast  been  allotted  to  (j) 
receive  the  virgin  of  the  Lord  to  keep  with  thyself."  And  (2) 
all  the  people  congratulated  the  old  man,  saying,  "Thou  hast 
been  made  blessed  in  thine  old  age,  father  Joseph,  seeing  that 
God  hath  shown  thee  to  be  fit  to  receive  Mary."  And  the 
priest  having  said  to  him,  "Take  her,  because  of  all  the  tribe 
of  Judah  thou  alone  hast  been  chosen  by  God,"  Joseph  began 
bashfully  to  address  him,  saying,  "I  am  an  old  man,  and  have 
children ;  why  hand  ye  over  to  me  this  infant,  who  is  younger 
than  my  grandsons?  I  am  afraid  lest  I  become  a  laughing 
stock  to  the  sons  of  Israel."  And  the  priest  said  to  Joseph, 
"Fear  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  remember  what  the  Lord  did 
to  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  and  Korah,^  how  the  earth  opened, 
and  they  were  swallowed  up  because  they  despised  the  will 
of  God.  So  will  it  happen  to  thee,  if  thou  despise  this  which 
is  commanded  thee  by  God." 

Then  Joseph  answered  the  priest,  'T  indeed  despise  not  the  (2) 
will  of  God ;  but  I  shall  be  her  guardian  until  I  can  ascertain  (3) 
concerning  the  will  of  God,  as  to  which  of  my  sons  can  have 
her  to  wife.  Let  some  virgins  of  her  companions,  with 
whom  she  may  meanwhile  spend  her  time,  be  given  for  a 
consolation  to  her."  The  high  priest  answered,  and  said, 
"Five  virgins,  indeed,  shall  be  given  her  for  consolation, 
until  the  appointed  day  come  in  which  thou  mayest  receive 
her;  for  to  no  other  can  she  be  joined  in  marriage."  There- 
fore,   usual    ceremonies    of    betrothal    having    been    gone 

^(3)  says  that  a  flower  should  similar     miracle,     suggested     of 

also  appear  upon  the  rod  as  a  course  by  the  budding  of  Aaron's 

sign,  but  none  of  our  documents  rod    (see   Num.   xvii.8),  is  told 

record     that     this     took     place,  of  many  of  the  saints,  e.  g.  St. 

Nevertheless,   the  tradition  that  Christopher,  St.  Francis  of  As- 

Joseph's   rod  bloomed  is  nearly  sisi,   St.   Bernard,   St.    Polycarp, 

universal;    and  he  is  almost  al-  and  St.  Gregory  Thaumaturgus. 

ways  represented  in  art  with  the  ^Num,    xvi.31-33. 
flowering  staff  in  his  hand.    A 


32  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

through,  Joseph  went  back  to  put  his  house  in  order,  and  to 
procure  things  necessary  for  the  marriage.^ 
(i)  Now  there  was  also,  not  long  after,  a  council  of  the  priests, 
(2)  saying,  "Let  us  make  a  veil  for  the  temple  of  the  Lord." 
And  the  priests  said,  "Call  the  undefiled  virgins  of  the  family 
of  David."  And  the  officers  went  away,  and  sought,  and 
found  seven  virgins.  And  the  priests  remembered  the  child 
Mary,  that  she  was  of  the  family  of  David,  and  undefiled 
before  God.  And  the  officers  went  away  and  brought  her. 
And  they  brought  them  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord.  And 
the  priests  said,  "Choose  by  lot  who  shall  spin  the  gold,  and 
the  green,-  and  the  fine  linen,  and  the  silk,  and  the  hyacinth, 
and  the  scarlet,  and  the  true  purple."^  And  they  cast  lots 
among  themselves  what  each  virgin  should  do.  And  the 
true  purple  and  the  scarlet  fell  to  the  lot  of  Mary, 
(i)  And  when  Mary  had  got  it,  those  virgins  said  to  her, 
(2)  "Since  thou  art  the  last,  and  humble,  and  younger  than  all, 
thou  hast  deserved  to  receive  and  obtain  the  purple  and  scar- 
let." And  thus  saying,  as  it  were  in  words  of  annoyance, 
they  began  to  call  her  queen  of  virgins.  While,  however, 
they  were  so  doing,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the 
midst  of  them,  saying,  "These  words  shall  not  have  been 
uttered  by  way  of  annoyance,  but  they  prophesied  a  prophecy 
most  true."  The  virgins  trembled,  therefore,  at  the  sight 
of  the  angel,  and  at  his  words,  asking  Mary  to  pardon  and 
pray  for  them.  So  IMary  took  the  true  purple  and  the  scar- 
let, and  with  the  other  virgins  of  like  age,  who  had  been 
given  her  by  the  priests,  went  away  to  her  own  house, 
(i)  Now  at  this  time  Zacharias  was  dumb,  and  Samuel  was 
in  his  place  until  he  spake.     For  Zacharias  remembered  the 

'It  is  impossible  to  harmonize  given  by  the  Church  writers,  why 

here  the  dififerent  accounts  of  Jo-  it    was    necessary    that     Christ 

seph's   position.     They   differ  as  should  be  born  of  a  virgin,  yet 

to    whether    he    married    Mary  one  who  was  married.     The  Ro- 

without   consummation   of  mar-  man  church   commemorates   the 

riage  rites,  was  betrothed  to  her.  Betrothal  of  Mary,  on  Jan.  23. 
or  merely  became  her  guardian.  "Possibly  white. 

Hofmann,  Leben  Jesu,  pp.  64,  65,  'See  Ex.  xxv.4. 

tells   the   many   curious   reasons 


THE  PRAYER  OF  ZACHARIAS  33 

grace  of  the  Lord,  when  he  prayed  to  Him  in  secret,  and 
said,  "Lord,  my  bones  are  become  feeble,  and  my  head  is 
white  with  old  age.  Lord,  never  was  I  rejected  in  my  pray- 
ers ;  hear,  then,  my  petition.  Give  me  a  son  to  succeed  me,  to 
be  mine  heir  of  the  house  and  lineage  of  Jacob,  a  son  that 
may  observe  Thy  commandments,  and  be  pleasing  to  Thee." 
Then  an  angel  called  to  Zacharias,  and  said,  "I  declare  to 
thee  from  God  that  thou  shalt  have  a  son  called  John ;  no 
man  yet  hath  been  known  by  that  name.  He  shall  affirm 
the  Messiah  to  be  the  Word  of  God ;  he  shall  be  a  great 
person,  chaste,  a  prophet,  and  one  of  the  just."  And  Zach- 
arias answered,  "Lord,  how  shall  I  have  a  son?  I  am  old, 
and  my  wife  is  barren."  The  angel  said  unto  him,  "It  is 
easy  for  the  Lord  that  created  thee,  for  God  doth  even  as  it 
pleaseth  Him."  And  Zacharias  said,  "Lord,  give  me  some 
sign  of  the  conception  of  my  wife."  Then  the  angel  said, 
"The  sign  that  I  will  give  thee  shall  be  that  thou  shalt  not 
speak  in  three  days,  but  by  signs."  Then  went  he  out  of  his 
oratory,  and  made  signs  to  the  people  to  make  their  prayers, 
morning  and  evening.^  And  the  child  John  was  conceived 
of  the  chaste  kisses  that  Zacharias  imprinted  upon  the  lips 
of  Elisabeth  his  wife."^ 

Now  Joseph  received  Mary,  with  the  other  five  virgins,  (i) 
who  were  to  be  with  her,  into  his  own  house  in  Nazareth.^  >^< 

<4) 

And  these  virgins  were  Rebecca,  Sephora,  Susanna,  Abigea,  (5) 
and  Gael.*     Then  Joseph  said  to  Mary,  "Behold,  I  have  VH 

^The  most  of  this  paragraph  is  these    names.    Rossetti,    in    the 

from  the  Koran,  Sura  iii.  "Blessed    Damozel,"    speaks    of 

^This  is  a  legend  of  the  Gnostic  ]Mary — 

sect  of  the  Nazarenes.  See  Migne,  "With     her     five     handmaidens, 

Legendes,  col.  677  n.  whose  names 

^(3)     says    the    virgins    were  Are  five  sweet  symphonies, 

seven  in  number;    there  is  ap-  Cecily,  Gertrude,  Magdalen, 

parent   confusion  between  these  Margaret  and  Rosalys." 

and  the  seven  chosen  to  weave  I   do   not   imagine  that   these 

the  veil.     (3)    says  that  Joseph  latter  names  are  more  than  the 

received  the  virgins  at  his  house  products   of  a   poet's   fancy,  al- 

in  Bethlehem.  though  quite  different  lists  from 

^There    is    confusion    in    the  the   above    are   given    by   other 

Mss.  as  to  the  exact  forms  of  apocryphal  documents. 


34  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

received  thee  from  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  now  I  leave 
thee  in  my  house,  going  away  to  build  my  buildings,  but  I 
shall  come  to  thee.  The  Lord  will  protect  thee."  And 
when  Mary  found  James  the  Less  in  his  father's  house, 
broken-hearted  and  sad  on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  mother, 
she  brought  him  up.  Hence  she  was  called  the  mother  of 
James.  Now  the  virginity  of  Mary  was  hidden  from  the 
prince  of  this  world. ^  But  the  time  was  come  for  God  to 
have  compassion  on  that  which  He  had  formed,  for  the 
king  to  go  forth,  and  the  barbarians  to  be  defeated  before 
Him. 
(i)  And  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  to  Mary  by  God,  to 
y .)  announce  the  conception  of  the  Lord,  and  to  explain  to  her 
its  manner  and  order.  For  in  those  days,  when  she  first 
came  into  Galilee,  Mary  took  the  water-pot,  and  went  out  to 
draw  water.^  Now  whilst  she  stood  near  the  fountain  of 
Nazareth  to  fill  her  pitcher,  behold,  a  voice,  saying,  "Hail, 
thou  favoured  one,  the  Lord  is  with  thee,  blessed  art  thou 
among  women."^  Then  she  looked  about  right  and  left, 
to  see  whence  this  voice  came.  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  her,  saying,  "Blessed  art  thou,  Mary,  for  in 
thy  womb  thou  hast  prepared  a  habitation  for  the  Lord. 
Behold,  light  from  heaven  shall  come  and  dwell  in  thee,  and 
through  thee  shall  shine  in  all  the  world."  Then  Mary, 
becoming  afraid,  went  away  to  her  own  home,*  and  set 

*From  Epistle  of  Ignatius  to  the  to    which    this    narrative    bears 

Ephesians,  chap.  XIX.     For  ac-  some  resemblance.     The  Annun- 

count   of   a   preliminarj'   annun-  ciation  at  the  fountain  is  often 

ciation,   three   years   before   this  represented  in  art. 

time,  see  chap.  XXXI,  and  for  ''Luke  i.28.     I  make  a  general 

still   another   brief   account,    see  reference  for  this  and  the  follow- 

chap.  VI,  near  end.  ing  sections  to  Luke  i.26-38.     All 

^The  account  of  the  Annuncia-  of  the  canonical  account  is  inter- 

tion  at  the  fountain  is  given  by  woven  in  these  narratives, 

(i)  and  (2)  only.     Phocas  is  the  *This    traditional    house    v/as 

only  one  of  the  earlier  Church  highly  reverenced  as  early  as  the 

writers   who   mentions   this   tra-  age  of  Constantine.  About  it  has 

dition.     Possibly    the    idea    was  arisen  the  most  marvellous  legend 

suggested  by  the  account  of  Re-  that  Christendom  ever  received, 

bekah  at  the  well,  Gen.  xxiv.15,  It  is  said  that,  on  May  10,  1291, 


THE  ANNUNCIATION  TO  MARY  35 

down  the  water-pot;   and  taking  the  purple,  she  sat  on  her 
seat  and  spun  it. 

And  while  Mary  thus  wrought  the  purple  with  her  (i) 
fingers,  the  doors  of  her  bedchamber  being  shut,  there  ^^l 
entered  a  young  man  of  ineffable  beauty,  the  angel  of  the  (4) 
Lord.  And  with  great  light  he  filled  the  chamber  where 
she  was,  so  that  when  Mary  saw  him  she  exceeding  feared 
and  trembled.  Yet  most  courteously  saluting  her,  he  cried 
out,  saying,  "Hail  Mary,  O  virgin  highly  favoured  by  the 
Lord,  virgin  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee ;  blessed  art 
thou  above  all  women,  blessed  above  all  men  that  have  been 
hitherto  born,  and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb !"  And 
the  virgin,  who  was  already  well  acquainted  with  angelic 
faces,  and  was  not  unused  to  the  light  from  heaven,  was  by 
this  time  neither  terrified  by  the  vision  of  the  angel,  nor 
astonished  by  the  greatness  of  the  light,  but  only  perplexed 
by  his  words.  And  she  began  to  consider  of  what  nature  a 
salutation  so  unusual  could  be,  or  what  it  could  portend,  or 
what  end  it  could  have.  And  she  said  to  herself,  "Shall  I 
conceive  by  the  Lord,  the  living  God?  And  shall  I  bring 
forth,  as  every  woman  bringeth  forth?" 

And  the  angel,  divinely  inspired,  taking  up  this  thought,  (3) 
said,  "Fear  not,  Mary,  as  if  anything  contrary  to  thy  chas- 
tity were  hid  under  this  salutation.  For  in  choosing 
chastity,  thou  hast  found  favour  with  the  Lord,  and  therefore 
thou,  a  virgin,  shalt  conceive  without  sin  from  His  word, 
and  shalt  bring  forth  a  son.  He  shall  be  great,  because  He 
shall  rule  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  even  unto  the 
ends  of  the  earth.^  The  Lord  God  shall  give  Him  the 
throne  of  His  father  David,  and  He  shall  reign  in  the  house 
of  Jacob,  forever ;  and  of  His  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end, 
forasmuch  as  He  is  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,- 

whilst  the  infidels  were  ravaging  same  means,  on  Dec.  10,  1294,  to 

the   holy    land,    this    house    was  I.oretto  in  Italy,  where  it  is  still 

carried  by  angels  to  Tersatto  in  annually  visited  by  thousands  of 

Dalmatia.     Thence,  because  two  pilgrims, 

brothers  upon  whose  land  it  was  'Ps.  lxxii.8. 

set  quarrelled  about   its  posses-  "Rev.  xix.6. 
sion,  it  was  transported  by  the 


36  BETROTHAL  AND  ANNUNCIATION 

and  His  throne  is. from  everlasting  to  everlasting.  He  who 
shall  be  born  on  earth  in  humiliation,  reigneth  in  heaven  in 
exaltation.  And  they  who  do  not  confess  Him  shall  perish, 
for  His  authority  is  in  the  lofty  heights,  and  His  kingdom 
doth  not  pass  away."^ 
(i)  The  virgin  did  not  doubt  these  words  of  the  angel,  but 
p)  wishing  to  know  the  manner  of  this,  she  answered,  "How 
can  that  come  to  pass  ?  For  I  am  a  virgin  pure  in  soul  and 
body,  even  as  I  was  born.  And  while,  according  to  my 
vow,  I  never  know  man,  how  can  I  bring  forth  without 
human  seed?"  To  this  the  angel  said,  "Think  not,  Mary, 
that  thou  shalt  conceive  in  the  manner  of  mankind.  For 
without  any  intercourse  with  man,  thou,  a  virgin,  wilt  con- 
ceive, thou,  a  virgin,  wilt  bring  forth,  thou,  a  virgin,  wilt 
nurse.^  For  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the 
power  of  the  Most  High  shall  overshadow  thee,  contrary 
to  all  fire  of  concupiscence.  Therefore  that  which  shall  be 
born  of  thee  shall  alone  be  holy,  because  it  alone,  being  con- 
ceived and  born  without  sin,  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God 
the  Most  High.  And  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  for 
He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins.  And,  behold,  thy 
kinswoman  Elisabeth  hath  conceived  a  son  in  her  old  age. 
And  this  is  the  sixth  month  with  her  who  was  called  barren ; 
for  no  word  shall  be  impossible  with  God.  He  doth,  as 
pleaseth  Him ;  and  when  He  createth  anything.  He  saith, 
•Be  thou,'  and  it  is."^ 
(i)      Then  Mary  stretched  forth  her  hands,  and  raised  her  eyes 

(3)  to  heaven,  and  said,  "Behold  the  handmaiden  of  the  Lord 

(4) 

(5)  before  His  face ;  for  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  name  of  lady. 

^^5)  Let  it  be  to  me  according  to  thy  word."*    Moreover,  Mary 
(22) 

'Gospel    of   the    Twelve    Holy  count  of  the  Annunciation  that 

Apostles,   J.    Rendel    Harris,    in  differs  but  little  from  that  of  the 

Contemporary       Review,       vol.  Apocryphal     Gospels,    and    cer- 

LXXVI,  p.  805.  tainly   must    have   been    derived 

"Plainly  an  attempt  to  bolster  from  them, 

up  the  later  view  of  the  perpetual  *Many    Church    writers    hold 

virginity  of  Mary.  that  the  conception  actually  took 

^This  sentence  is  from  Koran,  place  at  the  words,  "Hail,  full  of 

Sura  iii.    This  book  has  an  ac-  grace,   the   Lord   is   with   thee." 


THE  CONCEPTION  OF  CHRIST 


37 


conceived  by  the  hearing  of  her  ears.^  And  the  Lord  chose 
her  of  His  own  will,  with  the  concvirrence  of  His  Father, 
and  the  counsel  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  He  was  made 
flesh  of  her,  by  a  mystery  which  transcendeth  the  grasp  of 
created  reason.  And  Gabriel  declared  to  her  all  the  things 
that  would  be  done  by  Jesus,  on  which  account  she  rejoiced.^ 
Then  the  angel  departed  from  her.' 


But  a  majority  agree  that  it  was 
after  the  utterance  of  the  above 
words  by  Mary. 

'This  view  is  generally  accepted 
by  the  Church  fathers,  e.  g.  two 
of  the  greatest  doctors,  August- 
ine and  Bernard,  with  many 
others.  It  is  contained  in  the 
Maronite  breviary  and  other 
works  fully  sanctioned  by  the 
Roman  church. 

^From  Kessaeus.  See  Evan- 
gelium  Infantiae,  Sike,  p.  (7). 

^The  Annunciation  is  commem- 
orated in  all  parts  of  the  Church 
on  Mar.  25.  An  unusual  accre- 
tion of  legend  surrounds  this 
particular  day.  It  is  the  tradi- 
tional one  upon  which  Christ's 
Crucifixion  is  said  to  have  oc- 


curred. Various  mediaeval  cal- 
endars also  placed  upon  this  date 
the  creation  of  Adam,  his  ejec- 
tion from  paradise,  the  death  of 
Abel,  the  sacrifice  of  Melchize- 
dek,  the  ofifering  of  Isaac,  the 
victory  of  St.  Michael  over  the 
dragon,  the  crossing  of  the  Red 
Sea  by  Israel,  the  beheading  of 
John  the  Baptist,  the  commemo- 
ration of  St.  Veronica  who  wiped 
the  face  of  Christ,  and  of  the 
Penitent  Thief,  the  rising  of  the 
bodies  of  many  saints  with 
Christ,  the  passion  of  St.  James, 
and  the  liberation  of  St.  Peter 
from  prison.  See  also  extended 
note  on  chap.  XXV,  regarding 
the  date  of  the  Crucifixion. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  VIRGINITY  OF  MARY  VINDICATED. 

Mary  visits  Elisabeth — Birth  of  John — Joseph's 
Return — Discovers  Mary's  Pregnancy — Reproaches 
her — Testimony  of  the  Virgins — Joseph's  Deter- 
mination— His  Dream — Christ  speaks  from  the 
Womb — Annas  reports  the  Case  to  the  Priests — 
Mary  and  Joseph  summoned — Are  reproached — 
Joseph's  Trial — Mary's — Her  Address  to  the  Peo- 
ple— Departs  in  Triumph — Infancy  of  John. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  12-16. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  10-12. 
(3) — Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  10. 
(4) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin, 

II  B,  IV. 
(5) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  5,  6. 
(6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  I. 
(22) — History    of    Joseph    the    Carpenter,    Sahidic 
Fragments,  I,  5,  6. 

(i)  Now  Mary  made  the  purple  and  the  scarlet,  and  took 
them  to  the  priest.  And  he  blessed  her,  and  said,  "Mary, 
the  Lord  God  hath  magnified  thy  name,  and  thou  shalt  be 
blessed  in  all  the  generations  of  the  earth."  And  Mary 
with  great  joy  went  away  to  Elisabeth  her  kinswoman,  and 
knocked  at  the  door.^  And  when  Elisabeth  heard  her,  she 
threw  away  the  scarlet  wool  that  she  had  in  her  hand,  and 
ran  to  the  door,  and  opened  it.  And  seeing  Mary,  she 
blessed  her,  and  said,  "Whence  is  this  to  me,  that  the  mother 
of  my  Lord  should  come  to  me?     for,  behold,  that  which 

'Luke  i.39,  40. 

(38) 


MARY  VISITS  ELISABETH  39 

is  within  me  leaped  and  blessed  thee."^  But  Mary  had  for- 
gotten the  mysteries  of  which  the  archangel  Gabriel-  had 
spoken,  and  gazed  up  into  heaven,  and  said,  ''Who  am  I,  O 
Lord,  that  all  the  generations  of  the  earth  should  bless 
me?"3 

Now  Mary  remained  three  months  with  Elisabeth,  and  (i) 
they  twain  were  comforting  one  another  many  days  from  ^4) 
the  scriptures  inspired  of  God.'*  For  Elisabeth  used  to  visit 
Mary  many  times  each  year,  ministering  to  her  in  all  those 
things  of  which  she  had  need ;  until  the  day  that  Gabriel 
the  archangel  said  to  Mary,  "Go  to  Elisabeth  thy  kins- 
woman." Now  Mary's  condition  day  by  day  became  more 
manifest ;  and  she,  being  afraid,  went  away  to  her  own 
home,  and  bid  herself  from  the  sons  of  Israel.  And  she 
was  sixteen  years  old^  when  these  mysteries  happened. 

Now  Elisabeth's  full  time  came,  that  she  should  be  de-  (6) 
livered,  and  she  brought  forth  a  son.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  on  the  eighth  day  they  came  to  circumcise  the  child; 
and  they  called  him  Zacharias,  after  the  name  of  his  father. 
And  his  mother  answered,  and  said,  "Not  so,  but  he  shall  be 
called  John."  And  they  said  unto  her,  "There  is  none  of 
thy  kindred  that  is  called  by  this  name."  And  they  made 
signs  to  his  father,  how  he  would  have  him  called.  And  he 
asked  for  a  writing  table,  and  wrote,  saying,  "His  name  i? 

^Luke  ii.41-44.  sumed,  as  in  the  foregoing  chap- 

"He  is  called  simply  an  angel  ten     But    the    other    documents 

in  Luke  i.26.  seem  to  hold  that  her  stay  in  Jo- 

^Mary's    visit    to    Elisabeth    is  seph's  house  was  much  shorter 

commemorated    by    the    Roman  than  two  years.    Yet  I  think  that 

church  in  the  feast  of  the  Visita-  sixteen    is,    on    the    whole,    the 

tion  B.  V.  M.,  on  Jul.  2.  apocryphal  tradition  as  to  Mary's 

*See  II  Tim.  iii.i6.  age  at  the  time  of  Christ's  birth. 

'According   to    most    Mss.    of  Albertus  Magnus,  however,  says 

(i);  others,  however,  say  four-  that    she    was    twenty-five,    and 

teen,      fifteen,      seventeen,      and  Cardinal   Cajetan,  that   she  was 

eighteen.     (5)    says    that    Mary  twenty- four.     In  each  case,  they 

remained  two  years  in  the  house  found    their    assertions    on    the 

of  Joseph.     This  would  make  her  ground  that  these  were  the  ages 

sixteen  at  this  time,  if  the  age  of  of  physical  perfection, 
fourteen  at  the  betrothal  be  as- 


40  MARY'S  VIRGINITY  VINDICATED 

John."  And  they  marvelled  all.  And  his  mouth  was 
opened  immediately,  and  his  tongue  loosed,  and  he  spake, 
and  praised  God.  And  fear  came  on  all  that  dwelt  round 
about  them ;  and  all  these  sayings  were  noised  abroad 
throughout  all  the  hill  country  of  Judaea.  And  all  they  that 
heard  them  laid  them  up  in  their  hearts,  saying,  "What 
manner  of  child  shall  this  be !"  And  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  with  him.^  And  his  father  Zacharias  was  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  prophesied,  saying,  "Blessed  is  the 
God  of  Israel ;  for  He  hath  visited  us,  and  hath  wrought 
redemption  for  His  people,  and  hath  raised  up  for  us  a  horn 
of  salvation  from  the  house  of  His  servant  David."  Now  the 
soul  of  Elijah  the  prophet  was  bound  in  the  body  of  John.^ 
(i)  Now  while  these  things  were  doing,  Mary  spent  three 
S^l  other  months  in  the  house  of  Joseph,  being  pregnant  with 
(4)  the  Son  of  the  living  God ;  but  Joseph  was  occupied  with  his 
(22)  work  of  house-building  at  Capernaum,  in  the  districts  by 
the  sea-shore.  And  he  came,  therefore,  into  Galilee,  in- 
tending to  marry  the  virgin  who  had  been  betrothed  to 
him.^  Now  Mary,  being  in  her  sixth  month,  her  pregnancy 
began  to  show  itself,  and  could  not  be  hidden  from  Joseph. 
For  he,  entering  freely  into  the  house,  and  talking  familiarly 
with  the  virgin  in  the  manner  of  a  spouse,  discovered  that 
she  was  big  with  child.  And  he  began  to  be  disturbed,  and 
troubled  in  mind.  And  he  smote  his  face,*  and  threw  him- 
self on  the  ground,  on  the  sackcloth;  and  from  fear  and 
sorrow  and  the  anguish  of  his  heart,  he  could  endure  neither 
to  eat  nor  drink  that  day. 

^I    have     incorporated    above,  Baptist;    and  his  statement  was 

Luke  i.57,  59-66,  in  order  to  show  generally  received  by  them, 

the  connection.  ^(3)  says  that  Joseph  had  been 

"This   sentence   is   taken   from  absent  "three  months" ;    (i),"six 

Pistis    Sophia;     the    belief    was  months";        and       (2),       "nine 

widely   held    in   the    Church,   as  months."     No    harmony    can   be 

well  as  by  heretics.  Dr.  Dowie,  of  brought  about,  but  our  account 

Chicago,  announced  but  recently  assumes  that  he  returned  at  the 

to  his  followers,  that  in  him  was  end  of  Mary's  sixth  month, 

incarnate  the  same  soul  that  had  *See  Ezek.  xxi.12;  Jer.  xxi.19. 
dwelt   in   Elijah   and   John   the 


JOSEPH  DISCOVERS  HER  PREGNANCY      41 

And  being  in  the  utmost  distress,  Joseph  trembled,  and  (i) 
wept  bitterly,  crying  out  and  saying,  "O  Lord  God,  receive  ^zl 
my  spirit ;  for  it  is  better  for  me  to  die  than  to  live  any 
longer.  With  what  face  shall  I  look  upon  the  Lord  my 
God?  and  what  prayer  shall  I  make  about  this  maiden? 
because  I  received  her  a  virgin  out  of  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  and  I  have  not  watched  over  her.  Who  is  it  that  hath 
hunted  her  down?  Who  hath  done  this  evil  thing  in  my 
house,  and  defiled  the  virgin?  Hath  not  the  history  of 
Adam  been  repeated  in  me?  For  just  as  Adam  was  in  the 
hour  of  his  singing  praise,^  and  the  serpent  came,  and  found 
Eve  alone,  and  completely  deceived  her,  so  hath  it  happened 
to  me  also.  But  I  wonder  that  I  never  saw  her  speaking  to 
a  man ;  whence,  then,  she  hath  conceived,  I  know  not." 

Then  Joseph  stood  up  from  the  sackcloth,  and  calling  (i) 
Mary,  he  said  unto  her,  "O  thou  who  hast  been  cared  for 
by  God,  why  hast  thou  done  this,  and  forgotten  the  Lord 
thy  God?  Why  hast  thou  brought  low  thy  soul,  thou  that 
wast  brought  up  in  the  holy  of  holies,  and  didst  receive  food 
from  the  hands  of  an  angel?"  And  Mary  wept  bitterly, 
saying,  "I  am  innocent,  and  have  known  no  man,"  But 
Joseph  said  unto  her,  "O  Mary,  whence  then  is  that  which 
is  in  thy  womb?  Hath  there  ever  been  a  crop  upon  earth 
without  sowing  of  seed?"  And  she  said,  "As  the  Lord  my 
God  liveth,  I  know  not  whence  this  is  to  me.  Art  thou 
ignorant  that  God  at  the  time  of  the  creation  produced 
fruits  without  the  intervention  of  seed?"  "I  believe  that," 
said  Joseph,  "but  whence  is  this  offspring  to  thee,  and  who 
is  his  parent?"  Mary  replied,  "This  I  have,  a  present  and 
gift  from  God.     The  case  is  the  same* as  it  was  with  Adam, 


^Some  Mss.  of  (i)  here  read,  praises  to  God  each  day  at  fixed 
"As  Adam  was  in  paradise,  and  hours,  see  Vision  of  Paul,  7, 
in  the  hour  of  singing  praise  to  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  Am.  Ed., 
God  was  with  the  angels,  the  ser-  vol.  X,  p.  152,  and  fragments  of 
pent  came,"  etc.  There  is  refer-  the  Testament  of  Adam,  in 
ence  here  to  some  unknown  Migne,  vol.  I,  col.  291.  It  is  very- 
apocryphal  book  or  legend.  For  probablj-  this  latter  book  in  which 
account  of  how  the  angels  sing  the  passage  occurred. 


42  MARY'S  VIRGINITY  VINDICATED 

whom  God  created.  He  said,  'Let  him  be,'  and  he  was."^ 
(2)  And  the  virgins  who  were  with  Mary  said  unto  Joseph, 
"What  art  thou  saying?  We  know  that  no  man  hath 
touched  her ;  we  can  testify  that  she  is  still  a  virgin,  and 
untouched.  We  have  watched  over  her;  always  hath  she 
continued  with  us  in  prayer ;  daily  do  the  angels  of  God 
speak  with  her;  daily  doth  she  receive  food  from  the  hands 
of  the  Lord,  We  know  not  how  it  is  possible  that  there  can 
be  any  sin  in  her.^  But  if  thou  wishest  us  to  tell  what  we 
suspect,  nobody  but  the  angel  of  the  Lord  hath  made  her 
pregnant."  Then  Joseph  said,  "Why  do  ye  mislead  me  to 
believe  that  an  angel  of  the  Lord  hath  made  her  pregnant? 
But  it  is  possible  that  some  one  hath  pretended  to  be  an 
angel  of  the  Lord,  and  hath  beguiled  her."^ 
(i)  And  thus  answering,  Joseph  wept,  and  said,  "With  what 
i^}  face  shall  I  look  at  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  or  with  what  face 
(4)  shall  I  see  the  priests  of  God  ?  Truly,  my  children  and  my 
kinsmen  will  mock  my  old  age,  and  say,  'He  took  a  wife  in 
his  old  age,  and  found  her  pregnant.'  But  most  of  all,  the 
priests  of  the  temple  will  blame  me,  because  I  have  allowed 
such  a  thing  to  happen  to  the  virgin  in  my  house ;  especially, 

'The    last    half    of    this    para-  The  Jews  also  said  that  Joseph 

graph    is    from    Kessaeus;    see  was  the  father  of  Mary's  child, 

Evangelium       Infantiae,       Sike,  Eisenmenger,  vol.  I,  p.  291.      This 

notes,  pp.  (7),  (8).    It  gives  the  was  also  held  by  more  than  one 

Mohammedan  legend  of  Christ's  early  heretical  sect  of  Ebionitic 

virgin  birth.  type. 

^Celsus,  according  to  Origen,  'See  the  instance  given  by  Jo- 
taught  that  Mary  was  made  preg-  sephus,  Antiquities,  bk.  XVIII, 
nant  by  a  soldier  named  Pan-  ch.  iv.  4,  of  how  a  woman  was 
thera,  and  held  that  the  story  of  deceived  by  one  who  pretended 
her  virgin  conception  was  sug-  to  be  a  god.  Some  such  case 
gested  by  the  classical  fables  might  have  been  present  to  the 
about  Danae,  Melanippe,  Ange,  mind  of  the  apocryphal  writer. 
Antiope,  and  the  like.  The  same  The  Ethiopic  Prayer  of  the  Vir- 
stories  are  found  in  the  Talmud ;  gm  at  Bartos  says  that  three  an- 
and  in  various  Jewish  books  dif-  gels,  whose  names  were  Yaab, 
ferent  names  are  given  to  her,  Faama,  and  Fayam,  protected 
her  husband,  and  the  seducer.  Mary  with  their  shadow  whilst 
See  further  notes  on  this  subject  she  was  pregnant, 
at    beginning    of    chap.    XXIV. 


GABRIEL  APPEARS  TO  JOSEPH     43 

as  they  charged  me  concerning  her.  What  am  I  to  do?" 
And  thus  saying,  he  thought  that  he  would  flee,  and  send 
her  away.  For  he  was  in  great  doubt  and  perplexity, 
because  he  did  not  know  what  was  best  for  him  to  do.  For, 
being  a  just  man,  he  was  not  willing  to  expose  her ;  nor, 
being  a  pious  man,  to  injure  her  fair  fame  by  a  suspicion  of 
fornication.  And  Joseph  said,  'Tf  I  conceal  her  sin,  I  find 
myself  fighting  against  the  law  of  the  Lord ;  and  if  I  expose 
her  to  the  sons  of  Israel,  I  am  afraid  lest  that  which  is  in 
her  be  from  an  angel,  and  I  shall  be  found  giving  up  inno- 
cent blood  to  the  doom  of  death."  He  came  to  the  con- 
clusion, therefore,  privately  to  dissolve  their  contract,  and 
to  send  her  away  secretly.^  And,  being  greatly  afraid,  he 
separated  from  her. 

Now  while  Joseph  meditated  on  these  things,  and  was  (i) 
thinking  of  rising  up  and  hiding  himself,  so  as  to  dwell  in  p? 
secret,  behold,  night  came  upon  him.  And,  behold,  the  (4) 
prince  of  the  angels,  holy  Gabriel,  appeared  to  him  in  a  ^^\ 
dream,  saying,  "Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not ;  that  is, 
have  no  suspicion  of  fornication  in  this  maiden,  and  think 
no  evil  of  her.  And  fear  not  to  take  her  as  thy  wife ;  for 
that  which  is  begotten  in  her,  and  which  now  vexeth  thy 
soul,  is  the  work,  not  of  man,  but  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  For 
she  alone  of  all  virgins  shall  bring  forth  the  Son  of  God; 
and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  that  is,  Saviour;  for  he 
shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins.^  He  it  is  who  shall 
rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron."^  And  Joseph  arose 
from  sleep,  and  glorified  the  God  of  Israel,  who  had  given 
him  this  grace.  And  he  spake  to  Mary  and  the  virgins  who 
were  with  her,  telling  them  his  vision.  So  he  was  com- 
forted about  Mary,  saying,  "I  have  sinned,  in  that  I 
suspected  thee  at  all."  Therefore,  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  angel,  he  took  the  virgin  to  wife.  Neverthe- 
less, he  knew  her  not ;  but  took  care  of  her,  and  kept  her  in 
chastity.* 

And  Jesus  spake  from  the  womb  of  his  mother,  and  said,  ("  ) 

^Mat.  i.19.  ^Ps.  ii.19,  Rev.  xii.5;  xix.is, 

'Mat.   i.20,  21.  ^Mat.  i.24,  25. 


44  MARY'S   VIRGINITY  VINDICATED 

"O  Joseph,  what  mean  these  comparisons  that  thou  hast 
instituted  ?  But  rather  arise,  and  go  about  thy  work ;  and 
seek  forgiveness  for  thy  sin,  because  such  thoughts  have 
entered  thy  mind."  Then  Joseph,  rising  up,  went  to  Zach- 
arias,  and  told  these  things  to  him.  And  Zacharias  was  sad, 
and  said  to  his  wife,  "Mary  is  pregnant,  nor  hath  she  a  hus- 
band ;  moreover,  I  fear  the  wickedness  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  lest  they  should  suspect  her  with  regard  to  Joseph." 
But  she  replied,  "Seek  help  of  God,  and  trust  in  Him;  for 
He  will  repel  these  calumnies  from  her."^ 
(i)  After  these  things,  there  arose  a  great  report  that  Mary 
^^^  was  with  child.  For  Annas  the  scribe  came  to  Joseph,  and 
said,  "Why  hast  thou  not  appeared  in  our  assembly?"  And 
Joseph  said  to  him,  "Because  I  was  weary  from  my  journey, 
and  rested  the  first  day."  And  he  turned,  and  saw  that 
Mary  was  with  child.  And  he  ran  away  to  the  high  priest, 
and  said  to  him,  "Joseph,  whom  thou  didst  vouch  for,  hath 
committed  a  grievous  crime."  And  the  priest  said,  "How 
so?"  And  he  said,  "He  hath  defiled  the  virgin  whom  he 
received  out  of  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  hath  married  her 
by  stealth,  and  hath  not  revealed  it  to  the  sons  of  Israel." 
And  the  high  priest,  answering,  said,  "Hath  Joseph  done 
this?"  Then  said  Annas  the  scribe,  "Send  officers,  and 
thou  wilt  find  the  virgin  with  child."  And  the  officers  of 
the  temple  went  away,  and  found  it  as  he  had  said.^ 
(i)  Then  the  officers  brought  Mary,  along  with  Joseph,  to  the 
^^^  tribunal  of  the  high  priest.  And  he  said,  "Mary,  why  hast 
thou  done  this?  and  why  hast  thou  brought  thy  soul  low, 
and  forgotten  the  Lord  thy  God  ?     Thou  that  wast  reared  in 

^Paragraph  is  from  Kessaeus,  vention  of  this  story  of  the  trial 
Evangelium  Infantiae,  Sike,  of  Mary's  virginity  is  that  public 
notes,  p.  (8).  According  to  Jew-  recognition  of  the  proof  might  be 
ish  tradition,  the  yet  unborn  in-  appealed  to.  It  was  felt  by  the 
fants  in  their  mothers'  wombs  writer,  that  the  account  in  Mat- 
responded  by  an  amen  to  the  thew's  Gospel  did  not  furnish 
hymns  of  praise  at  the  Red  Sea.  proof  enough.  The  account  at 
Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus,  vol.  I,  the  beginning  of  chap.  XV  is 
p.  153,  n.  3.  another  effort  in  this  same  direc- 

-'The  evident  purpose  of  the  in-  tion. 


THE  WATERS  OF  JEALOUSY 


4j 


the  holy  of  holies,  that  didst  receive  food  from  the  hand  of 
an  angel,  and  didst  hear  the  hymns,  and  dance  before  the 
Lord,  why  hast  thou  done  this?"  And  Mary  wept  bitterly, 
saying,  "As  the  Lord  my  God  liveth,  I  am  pure  before  Him, 
and  know  not  a  man." 

And  the  high  priest  with  the  priests  began  to  reproach  (i) 
Joseph,  and  to  say,  "Why  hast  thou  done  this?  Why  hast  ^"^ 
thou  beguiled  so  great  and  so  glorious  a  virgin,  who  was  fed 
like  a  dove  in  the  temple  by  the  angels  of  God,  who  never 
wished  either  to  see  or  to  have  a  man,  who  had  the  most 
excellent  knowledge  of  the  law  of  God?  If  thou  hadst  not 
done  violence  to  her,  she  would  still  have  remained  in  her 
virginity."  And  Joseph  vowed  and  swore  that  he  had  never 
touched  her  at  all,  and  was  pure  concerning  her.  And  the 
high  priest  said,  "Bear  not  false  witness,  but  speak  the  truth. 
Thou  hast  married  her  by  stealth,  and  hast  not  revealed  it 
to  the  sons  of  Israel ;  and  hast  not  bowed  thy  head  under  the 
strong  liand,^  that  thy  seed  might  be  blessed."  And  Joseph 
was  silent.  And  the  high  priest  said,  "Give  up  the  virgin 
whom  thou  didst  receive  out  of  the  temple  of  the  Lord." 
Then  Joseph  burst  into  tears.  And  the  high  priest  said, 
"As  the  Lord  liveth,  I  will  give  you  to  drink  of  the  water  of 
the  ordeal  of  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  make  manifest  your 
sins  in  your  eyes."^ 

Then  was  assembled  a  multitude  of  the  people,  which  (2) 
could  not  be  numbered,  and  Mary  was  brought  to  the  tem- 
ple. And  the  priests,  and  her  relatives,  and  her  parents 
wept,  and  said  to  her,  "Confess  to  the  priests  thy  sin,  thou 
that  wast  like  a  dove  in  the  temple  of  God,  and  didst  receive 
food  from  the  hands  of  an  angel." 

Then  Joseph  was  summoned  to  the  altar,  and  the  water  /-j^ 

(2) 
*That  is,  of  God.     Cf.  I  Pet.  v.6.      be  employed  with  women.     They 

^See,  for  account  of  the  waters  should    approach    in    black    gar- 

of  jealousy,  Num.  V.11-31.  There  nients   without   ornaments,   with 

is  nothing  said  there  of  the  or-  a    cord   around   the   breast,   and 

deal  ever  being  undergone  by  a  walk    around    the    altar    seven 

man.     But    the    Talmudists    say  times.     Similar  ordeals  have  also 

that  it  was  applied  to  men.    They  been  used  by  many  other  nations. 

also  speak  of  the  ceremonial  to 


46  MARY'S  VIRGINITY  VINDICATED 

of  the  ordeal  of  the  Lord  was  given  him  to  drink.  Now, 
when  anyone  that  had  Hed  drank  this  water,  and  walked 
seven  times  around  the  altar,  God  used  to  show  some  sign 
in  his  face.^  When,  therefore,  Joseph  had  drunk  in  safety, 
and  had  walked  round  the  altar  seven  times,  no  sign  of  sin 
appeared  in  him.^  Then  all  the  priests,  and  the  officers,  and 
the  people  justified  him,  saying,  "Blessed  art  thou,  seeing 
that  no  charge  hath  been  found  good  against  thee." 

(2)  And  they  summoned  Mary,  and  said,  "And  what  excuse 
canst  thou  have?  or  what  greater  sign  can  appear  in  thee 
than  the  conception  of  thy  womb,  which  betrayeth  thee? 
This  only  we  require  of  thee,  that  since  Joseph  is  pure  con- 
cerning thee,  thou  confess  who  it  is  that  hath  beguiled  thee. 
For  it  is  better  that  thy  confession  should  betray  thee,  than 
that  the  wrath  of  God  should  set  a  mark  on  thy  face,  and 
expose  thee  in  the  midst  of  the  people."  Then  Mary  said, 
stedfastly  and  without  trembling,  "O  Lord  God,  King  over 
all,  who  knowest  all  secrets,  if  there  be  any  pollution  in  me, 
or  any  sin,  or  any  evil  desires,  or  unchastity,  expose  me  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people,  and  make  me  an  example  of  pun- 
ishment to  all."  Thus  saying,  she  went  up  to  the  altar  of 
the  Lord  boldly,  and  drank  the  water  of  ordeal,  and  walked 
round  the  altar  seven  times,  and  no  spot  was  found  in  her.^ 

(2)  And  when  all  the  people  were  in  the  utmost  astonishment, 
seeing  that  she  was  with  child,  and  that  no  sign  had  appeared 
in  her  face,  they  began  to  be  disturbed  among  themselves  by 
conflicting  statements.  Some  said  that  she  was  holy  and 
tmspotted,  others  that  she  was  wicked  and  defiled.  Then 
Mary,  seeing  that  she  was  still  suspected  by  the  people,  and 
that  on  that  account  she  did  not  seem  to  them  to  be  wholly 
cleared,  said  in  the  hearing  of  all,  with  a  loud  voice,  "As  the 
Lord  Adonai  liveth,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  before  whom  I  stand, 
I  have  not  known  man ;  but  I  am  known  by  Him  to  whom 

^The  only  signs  given  in  Num.  to  drink,  they  sent  him  away  to 

V.  are  that  the  belly  should  swell  the  hill  country,  and  he  returned 

and  the  thighs  rot.  unhurt." 

^(i)    here    states,   that   "when  ^Cf.  Job  xi.15. 

they  had  given  Joseph  the  water 


THE  INFANCY  OF  JOHN  47 

from  my  earliest  years  I  have  devoted  myself.  And  this 
vow  I  made  to  my  God  from  my  infancy,  that  I  should 
remain  unspotted  in  Him  who  created  me ;  and  I  trust  that  I 
shall  so  live  to  Him  alone,  and  serve  Him  alone.  And  in 
Him,  as  long  as  I  shall  live,  will  I  remain  unspotted." 
Then  they  all  began  to  kiss  her  feet,  and  to  embrace  her 
knees,  asking  her  to  pardon  them  for  their  wicked  sus- 
picions. 

And  Mary  was  led  away  with  exultation  and  joy  by  the  (i) 
people,  and  the  priests,  and  all  the  virgins.  And  they  cried  ^^^ 
out,  and  said,  "Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  forever, 
because  He  hath  manifested  thy  holiness  to  all  His  people 
Israel !"  And  the  high  priest  said  unto  Mary  and  Joseph, 
"If  the  Lord  God  hath  not  made  manifest  sin  in  you,  neither 
do  I  judge  you."  And  he  sent  them  away  to  the  hill  coun- 
try. And  Joseph  took  Mary,  and  went  away  to  his  own 
house,  rejoicing  and  glorifying  the  God  of  Israel. 

Now  during  this  time  the  holy  child  John  was  cherished  (g) 
much  in  the  house  of  his  parents  for  six  months,^  receiving 
suck  from  the  barren  old  woman.^  And  his  parents  took 
him  daily  in  their  hands  to  the  temple  of  the  Lord;  his 
father  blessing  him,  and  setting  him  before  the  altar,  at  the 
place  where  the  angel  appeared  to  him,  saying,  "Lord  God 
of  Israel,  strengthen  this  child,  whom  Thou  hast  prepared 
for  Thyself."     And  the  child  was  pleasing  daily. 

'See  Luke,  i.8o.  ^That  is,  Elisabeth. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  NATIVITY  OF  CHRIST. 
The    Enrolment  —  Journey    to     Bethlehem  —  Mary 

ENTERS    THE    CaVE — NATIVITY — UNIVERSE    STANDS    STILL 

— Signs  at  Rome — Other  Signs — Wonderful  Star — 
Joseph  brings   Midwives — Zelomi   is  cured — Salome 

DOUBTS  —  Is     punished CuRED ThE     ShEPHERDS  — 

Signs  in  the  Heavens — Adoration  by  the  Animals 
—  Circumcision  —  Presentation  in  the  Temple  — 
Simeon  and  Anna — Salome  tells  these  Wonders. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  17-20. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  13-15. 
(3) — Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  10. 
(4) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin, 

II  B. 
(5) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  7. 
(6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  I. 
(7) — Protevangelium  of  James,  Syriac  Version,  17- 

20. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  1-6. 
(22) — History    of    Joseph    the    Carpenter,    Sahidic 

Fragments,  I,  7. 

(i)  Now  six  months  from  the  time  that  John  was  born,  it 
p^  came  to  pass  in  the  three  hundred  and  ninth  year  of  the  era 
(5)  of  Alexander/  whilst  Cyrenius  was  governor  of  Syria,^  that 

(22)      ^This  began  twelve  years  after  possession    of    Syria ;     the    date 

the  death  of  Alexander,  in  311  given  would  place  Christ's  birth 

B.  c,  at  the  time  when  Seleucius,  in  the  third  year  of  the  Christian 

one  of  the  generals  of  Alexan-  era. 

der,    concluded    peace    with    his  "See  Luke  ii.1-5.     Justin  Mar- 
rival     Antigone,     and     obtained  tyr,  Apology,  II,  and  Tertullian, 

(48) 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  BETHLEHEM     49 

Caesar  Augustus  made  an  edict  that  every  man  should  go  to 
be  enrolled  in  his  native  place.  It  was  necessary,  therefore, 
that  Joseph  should  enrol  with  Mary  at  Bethlehem,  because 
they  were  both  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  of  the  house  and 
family  of  David.  And  Joseph  said,  *T  shall  enrol  my  sons, 
but  what  shall  I  do  with  this  maiden?  How  shall  I  enrol 
her?^  As  my  wife?  I  am  ashamed  to  do  it.  As  my 
daughter,  then?  But  all  the  sons  of  Israel  know  that  she 
is  not  my  daughter.  The  day  shall  bring  it  to  pass  as  the 
Lord  will." 

And  the  righteous  old  man  Joseph  rose  up  and  saddled  (i) 
the  ass,  and  set  Mary  upon  it.     His  son  Simon^  led  it,  and  (^) 
Joseph  and  his  son  James  followed.     And  upon  one  stormy  (22) 
night  during  the  journey,  they  with  great  difficulty  found 
shelter  in  a  peasant's  hut,^  and  upon  another  under  a  walnut 
tree.     On  which  account,  also,  the  leaf  of  that  tree  is  still 
interwoven  in  the  garlands  of  the  holy  body. 

Now  as  they  passed  along  the  road  that  leadeth  to  Beth-  (i) 
lehem,  and  were  come  within  three  miles  of  that  city,  Joseph  ^^ 
turned  and  saw  that   Mary  was   sorrowful ;  and  he   said  (7) 
within  himself,  "Likely  she  is  in  distress."     And  Joseph  the 
righteous  said  to  the  virgin,  "O  Mary,  fear  not ;  that  which 
Cometh   forth   from  thee  shall   succour  thee."     But  again 

Against  Marcion,  I,  iv.  c.  7,  say  that,  in  accordance  with  the  above 

that  these  registers  of  enrolment  apocryphal  tradition,  it  was  later 

were  still  preserved  in  their  time.  than  the  year  A.  d.  I,  instead  of 

It   seems  certain,  however,  that  earlier? 

Cyrenius,  or  Quirinus,  was  not  ^The   representation   here   evi- 
governor  of  Syria  until  after  the  dently  is  that  what  was  taken  at 
commonly      received      date      of  Bethlehem  was  not  a  list  for  tax- 
Christ's  birth.    If  Christ  was  born  ation,    but   a    census   of   all   the 
S    B.  c,    Q.    Sentius    Saturninus  Jewish  people, 
v/as  probably  then  governor ;   or,  ^There  are  many  variations  in 
if  He  was  born  a  little  after  this  the  Mss.  of  (i),  as  to  the  names 
time,  Quintilius  Varus;  Cyrenius  of  Joseph's  sons,  and  the  parts 
was  probably  governor  in  5  A.  D.  taken  by  each. 
The  exact  date  of  Christ's  birth  ^This  legend,  as  well  as  the  one 
is  far  from  settled,  after  all  the  that  follows,  I  find  in  Sepp's  Sym- 
study    that    has    been    bestowed  bolik  zum  Leben  Jesu,  V,  p.  9. 
upon  the  subject.     May  it  not  be 


50  THE  NATIVITY  OF   CHRIST 

Joseph  turned,  and  saw  her  laughing,  and  her  face  shining 

as  the  sun.     And  he  said  to  her,  "Why  is  it  that  I  see  in  thy 

face  at  one  time  laughter  and  another,  sorrow  ?"    And  Mary 

said  to  him,  "Because  I  see  two  peoples  with  my  eyes;  the 

one  weeping  and  lamenting,  and  the  other  rejoicing  and 

exulting."     And  Joseph  answered,  "Sit  still  on  thy  beast, 

and  speak  no  more  superfluous  words." 

(2)      And  there  appeared  before  them  a  beautiful  boy,  clothed 

in  white  raiment,  who  said  to  Joseph,  "Why  dost  thou  say 

that  Mary's  words  about  the  two  peoples  are  superfluous? 

She  saw  the  people  of  the  Jews  weeping,  because  they  have 

departed  from  their  God;  and  the  people  of  the  Gentiles 

rejoicing,  because  they  have  now  been  added  unto  the  Lord, 

according  to  that  which  He  hath  promised  to  our  fathers 

Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand  when  in 

the  seed  of  Abraham  all  nations  shall  be  blessed."^ 

(i)      And  they  came  into  the  middle  of  the  road,  and  Mary  said 

^7)  to  Joseph,  "Take  me  down  from  off  the  ass,  for  that  which  is 

in  me  presseth  to  come  forth."    And  Joseph-  said  to  her, 

"Whither  shall  I  lead  thee,  and  cover  thy  disgrace?  for  the 

place  is  desert." 

(i)      And  when  he  had  thus  said,  the  angel  ordered  the  beast 

y^(  to  stand ;  for  the  time  when  Mary  should  bring  forth  was  at 

(5)  hand ;  and  it  was  now  sunset.     And  he  commanded  Mary  to 

Sgx  come  down  off  the  animal,  and  go  into  a  recess  under  a 

(22)  cavern,^  in  which  there  never  was  light,  but  always  darkness, 

'This  story  of  the  two  peoples  in  a  cave  is  perhaps  the  most  im- 

seen  by   Mary   under  these  cir-  portant  and  most  widely  received 

cumstances,    may    possibly    have  of  all  the  traditions  differing  from 

been  suggested  by  the  history  of  those  of  the  four  Gospels,  that 

Rebekah  having  two  peoples  in  are  given  us  by  the  apocryphal 

her  womb.    See  Gen.  xxv.23.  writings.    It  adds  to,  but  does  not 

*(i)    says    here    that    "Joseph  contradict  the  Gospels;  and  the 

took  her  down  from  the  ass,"  in  tradition  of  the  whole  Catholic 

contradiction    to    (2),    which    I  church  is,  that  Christ  was  born 

have  followed  in  the  next  para-  in  the   well-known   cave  of  the 

graph,   stating  that  "it  was  the  Nativity  at  Bethlehem,  which  was 

angel  who  caused  her  to   come  at  that  time  used  as  a  stable,  that 

down."  being   no   unusual   circumstance. 

^The  story  that  Christ  was  born  Justin  Martyr,  the  earliest  writer 


CHRIST  BORN  IN  THE  CAVE  51 

because  the  light  of  day  could  not  reach  it.  It  was  near  the 
tomb  of  Rachel/  the  wife  of  the  patriarch  Jacob,  the  mother 
of  Joseph  and  Benjamin.  Then  Mary  said  to  Joseph,  "Do 
me  the  kindness  to  go  into  this  city,  and  seek  a  midwife  to 
come  and  sit  by  me,  till  God  relieve  me,  and  I  bring  forth 
that  which  is  in  my  womb."  And  Joseph,  leaving  his  two 
sons  beside  Mary,  went  out  to  seek  midwives  in  the  district 
of  Bethlehem. 

And  when  Mary  had  gone  into  the  cave,  it  began  to  shine  (i) 
with  as  much  brightness  as  if  it  were  the  sixth  hour  of  the  /^< 
day;  and  as  long  as  she  remained  there,  the  light  from  God  (7) 
so  shone  in  the  cave,  that  neither  by  day  nor  night  was  it  ^^ 
wanting.    And  there   Mary  brought  forth  a  son^  in  vir- 
ginity, and  the  angels  surrounded  him  when  he  was  being 
born.     And  as  soon  as  he  was  born,  he  stood  upon  his  feet, 
and  the  angels  adored  him,  saying,  "Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good  pleasure."^  And 
Mary  took  swaddling  clothes  and  wrapped  him  in  them,  and 
laid  him  in  a  manger  of  cattle,  out  of  which  cattle  eat,  for 

who  refers  to  this,  says,  Dialogue  vii.2;   Jerome,   Epistle  24;    Soc- 

with  Trypho,   c.   78,  "Since  Jo-  rates,  Church  History,  I,  17;  So- 

seph  could  not  find  a  lodging  in  zomen,  Church  History,  H,  2. 

that  village,  he  took  up  his  quar-  'Still  to  be  seen  near  Bethle- 

ters  in  a  certain  cave  near  the  hem. 

village;     and    while    they    were  "All  tradition  gives  midnight  as 

there,    Mary   brought    forth   the  the   time   of    Christ's    birth,    al- 

Christ."    He    adds,    further    on,  though  these  writings  would  seem 

"I    have    repeated   to   you    what  to  imply  an  earlier  hour;    tradi- 

Isaiah    foretold    about   the    sign  lion  also  says  that  it  was  on  a 

which    foreshadowed   the   cave."  Sunday.    Roman  tradition  makes 

He    refers    to     Isaiah  xxxiii.i6,  the  birth  occur  whilst  Mary  was 

which  in  the  Septuagint,  reads,  kneeling    with    her    face   to    the 

"He  shall  dwell  in  the  lofty  cave  East ;   "not   only   did   she   expe- 

of  the  strong  rock."    An  attempt  rience  no  pain,  but  the  seal  of 

by  early  Christians  to  show  that  virginity  miraculously  remained 

this    prophecy    was    fulfilled    in  unbroken." 

Christ  may  be  the  origin  of  this  ^Luke   ii.4  thus   stands   in  the 

legend.     Other  early  writers  who  Vulgate;    the    reading   has   been 

refer   to   the   cave  are :    Origen,  adopted   in   the   English   revised 

against  Celsus,  book  I,  chap.  51 ;  version. 
Eusebius,      Evang.      Demonstr. 


52  THE   NATIVITY  OF   CHRIST 

there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn.^  And  three  angels, 
whose  names  were  Sardour,  Matouadai,  and  Aradyal, 
watched  over  the  child  whilst  he  lay  in  the  manger.^  And 
his  body  shone  as  the  sun  when  it  ariseth.^ 

(i)  Now  the  nativity  of  the  Lord  had  already  come,  but  as 
Joseph  sought  midwives  he  was  walking,  and  was  not  walk- 
ing. And  he  looked  up  into  the  sky,  and  saw  that  every- 
thing was  astonished.  And  he  looked  up  to  the  pole  of  the 
heavens,  and  saw  it  standing,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  keep- 
ing still.  And  he  looked  down  upon  the  earth,  and  saw  a 
trough  lying,  and  work-people  reclining,  and  their  hands 
were  in  the  trough.  But  those  that  were  eating  did  not  eat, 
and  those  that  were  handling  it  did  not  handle,  and  those 
that  were  conveying  anything  to  their  mouths  did  not  con- 
vey it;  but  the  faces  of  all  were  looking  upwards.  And 
he  saw  the  sheep  walking,  and  the  sheep  stood  still ;  and  the 
shepherd  raised  his  hand  to  strike  them,  and  his  hand 
remained  up.  And  Joseph  looked  upon  the  current  of  the 
river,  and  saw  the  mouths  of  the  kids  resting  upon  the  water 
and  not  drinking,  and  all  things  in  a  moment  were  driven 
from  their  course.  But  suddenly  everything  was  loosened 
and  ran  on  in  its  order.* 

(n)  And  in  other  parts  of  the  world  were  there  signs  upon 
that  night  of  Christ's  birth. °  At  that  time,  peace  reigned 
over  the  whole  Roman  Empire,  and  the  temple  of  Janus  was 
shut,  in  fulfilment  of  the  song  of  the  angels  which  declared 
peace  on  earth.^ 

^This  sentence  is  found  in  an  *In  this  passage,  as  it  stands  in 

unpublished  Coptic  fragment  in  the  Mss.,  Joseph  is  represented 

the  possession  of  Lord  Crawford,  as  speaking  in  the  first  person, 

quoted     in     Coptic     Apocryphal  one  of  several  indications  that  it 

Gospels,  p.  196.  is  an  interpolation  from  another 

^This    sentence    is    from    the  source. 

Ethiopic  Prayer  of  the  Virgin  at  ''I  do  not  aim  to  gather  all  of 

Bartos,    p.    22,    Les    Apocryphes  these,  which  are  numberless ;  but 

£thiopiens,  No.  V,  Rene  Basset,  to  mention  a   few  of  the  older 

Paris,  1895.  ones  that  are  most  widely   dis- 

Trom  Vincentius,  Sermon  on  scminated. 

the  Nativity.  "Orosius,  bk.  VI,  chap.  21. 


SIGNS  OF  THE   NATIVITY 


53 


And  on  that  night  there  fell  down  the  temple  at  Rome,  (n ) 
built  by  Romulus  and  dedicated  to  Apollo,  where  the  devil 
rendered  oracles.  For  he,  having  been  asked  how  long  the 
temple  should  endure,  had  answered,  "Until  a  virgin  shall 
bring  forth  without  ceasing  to  be  a  virgin,"  which  event  the 
Romans  considered  to  be  impossible.^  Also,  a  fountain 
beyond  the  Tiber,  where  now  the  church  of  St.  Mary  stand- 
eth,  suddenly  flowed  oil  instead  of  water.- 

Upon  that  night  the  vineyards  of  En-gedi  bloomed.^     A  (n ) 
fountain  gushed  forth  in  the  cave  of  the  nativity  itself;* 
all  magic  was  destroyed,^  the  idols  in  Egypt  and  other  places 
were  thrown  down  f  and  all  those  guilty  of  unnatural  crimes 
were  suddenly  cut  off  from  the  earth.'^ 

That  night   was   suddenly  illuminated  by   an   unearthly  (n ) 
light,  and,  because  it  could  not  otherwise  be  seen  by  the 
fathers  in  the  underworld    (Hades),  the  earth   itself  was 
cleft  open  in  several  places,  and  through  the  clefts  the  light 
reached   them,   whereby   were    fulfilled   the   words   of   the 


^Innocent,  Sermon  on  the 
Lord's  Nativity,  2. 

'Tostatus  in  Prologue  of  Je- 
rome to  Gen.  chap.  vii. 

*Tostatus ;  Petrus  de  Natali- 
bus.  Or,  as  the  Golden  Legend  re- 
ports, "The  Rod  of  Engadi  which 
is  by  Jerusalem,  which  beareth 
balm,  flowered  this  night  and 
bare  fruit,  and  gave  liquor  of 
balm." 

^Beda,  De  Locis  Sacris.  See 
II  Sam.  xxiii.15. 

'^Epistle  of  Ignatius  to  the 
Ephesians,  chap.  XIX.  As  ex- 
pression of  the  widespread  su- 
perstition that  this  was  true  of 
every  Christmas  night,  witness 
the  well  known  lines  of  Shake- 
speare, Hamlet,  act  I,  scene  I: 
'Some  say,  that  ever  'gainst  that 

season  comes. 
Wherein  our  Saviour's  birth,  is 


celebrated, 
This  bird  of  dawning  singeth  all 

night  long; 
And    then,    they    say,    no    spirit 

dares  stir  abroad; 
The  nights  are  wholesome;  then 

no  planets  strike, 
No  fairy  takes,  nor  witch  hath 

power  to  charm, 
So  hallow'd  and  so  gracious  is 

the  time." 
°Petrus  de  Natalibus.  Refer- 
ence to  Is.  xix.i ;  but  the  apoc- 
ryphal writers  gave  a  more  com- 
plete fulfilment  of  this  prophecy 
in  the  destruction  of  idols  when 
Christ  came  into  Egypt.  See 
chap.  VII  of  this  work,  and 
chap.  VI,  for  account  of  destruc- 
tion  of   idols   in   Persia. 

^Bonaventure    and    Petrus    de 
Natalibus. 


54  THE  NATIVITY  OF  CHRIST 

prophet,   "The   people   who  sit   in   darkness   saw   a  great 

hght."^ 
(i)      Moreover,    a    great    star    called    Keryoun,^    larger    and 
>f<  brighter  than  all  that  were  before  it,  shone  over  the  cave 

(7)  with  inexpressible  light,  from  the  evening  until  the  morn- 
ing. For  it  was  not  a  star  like  other  stars,  but  was  in  the 
form  of  a  wheel,  its  figure  being  like  a  cross  sending  forth 
flashes  of  light,  letters  being  written  on  the  cross,  "This  is 
Jesus  the  Son  of  God."^  AUthe  rest  of  the  stars,  with  the  sun 
and  moon,  formed  a  chorus  to  this  star.*  Its  novelty  struck 
men  with  astonishment,  and  prophets  who  were  in  Jerusa- 
lem said  that  it  pointed  out  the  birth  of  Christ,  who  should 
restore  the  promises,  not  only  to  Israel,  but  to  all  nations. 

(i)      Then  Joseph  saw  an  old  Hebrew  woman  coming  down 
)V  from  the  hill  country,  and  she  said  to  him,  "O  man,  whither 

(8)  art  thou  going?"  And  he  said,  "I  am  seeking  an  Hebrew 
midwife.  Ho,  blessed  one,  come  hither,  and  enter  a  cave 
wherein  is  a  woman  nigh  to  childbirth."  And  she  said  to 
him,  "Art  thou  of  Israel?"  And  he  said  to  her,  "Yes." 
And  she  said,  "And  who  is  it  that  is  bringing  forth  in  the 
cave?"  And  he  said,  "A  woman  betrothed  to  me."  And 
she  said,  "Is  she  not  thy  wife  ?"  And  he  said  to  her,  "It  is 
Mary  that  was  reared  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  I 
obtained  her  by  lot  as  my  wife.  And  yet  she  is  not  my  wife, 
but  hath  conceived  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  And  the  midwife 
said  to  him,  "Is  this  true?"  And  Joseph  said  to  her,  "Come, 
and  thou  shalt  see.  And  the  midwife  Zelomi^  went  away 
with  Joseph. 

^Is.  ix.2.  Petrus  de  Natalibus.  apocrypha.  See  account  of  the 
"This  name  is  given  in  the  star,  in  the  next  chapter. 
Prayer  of  the  Virgin  at  Bartos,  ^This  sentence  is  from  Ignatius, 
Les  Apocryphes  Ethiopiens,  V,  p.  Epistle  to  Ephesians,  chap.  XIX. 
23.  ^In  (i),  which  certainly  con- 
^According  to  the  Syriac  Cav-  tains  the  oldest  form  of  this  leg- 
em of  Treasures,  there  appeared  end,  the  midwife  is  not  named; 
in  the  star  the  figure  of  a  virgin  and  the  Salome  who  meets  her 
carrying  an  infant  and  having  a  and  doubts  Mary's  virginity  is 
crown  upon  her  head.  Similar  not  a  midwife.  The  name  Sa- 
conceits  are  also  found  in  other  lome  is  found  attached  to  more 


THE  MIDWIVES   COME  55 

And  the  twain,  going,  stood  in  the  place  of  the  cave,  and,  (O 
behold,  a  luminous  cloud  overshadowed  it.     Then  Zelomi  /-j 
said,  "My  soul  hath  been  magnified  this  day,  because  mine  (8) 
eyes   have   seen   strange   things,   and   salvation   hath   been 
brought  forth  to  Israel."     And  immediately  the  cloud  dis- 
appeared from  the  cave,  and  a  great  light  shone  therein, 
more  beautiful  than  the  gleaming  of  lamps  and  candles,  and 
more  splendid  than  the  light  of  the  sun,  so  that  the  eyes 
could  not  bear  it.     But  in  a  little  while  the  light  gradually 
decreased,  until  the  infant  which  Mary  had  brought  forth 
appeared  unto  Joseph,  enwrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  and 
sucking  the  breast  of  his  mother,  who  was  placed  in  a  stall. 

And  Joseph,  who  had  also  met  another  midwife  called  (i) 
Salome,  wondering,  said  to  Mary,  "I  have  brought  thee  two  ^^l 
midwives,  Zelomi  and  Salome."     Now  they  were  standing  (8) 
outside  before  the  entrance  to  the  cave,  not  daring  to  come 
in  thither,  because  of  the  exceeding  brightness.     And  when 
Mary  heard  this,  she  smiled.     And  Joseph  said  to  her,  "Do 
not  smile ;  but  prudently  allow  them  to  visit  thee,  in  case 
thou  shouldest  require  them  for  thy  cure."^     Then  Mary 
ordered  them  to  enter.     And  when  Zelomi  had  come  in, 
Salome  having  stayed  without,  she  said  to  Mary,  "Art  thou 
the  mother  of  this  child  ?"     And  when  she  had  assented,  the 
midwife  said,  "Allow  me  to  touch  thee."     And  when  Mary 
had  permitted  her  to  make  an  examination,  the  midwife 
cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  said,  "Lord,  Lord  Almighty, 

people  than  is  any  other  in  apoc-  Onestasse,    or    Onestasia,   which 

ryphal  literature.     But  (2)  intro-  must  be  derived  from  some  other 

duces  two  midwives,  the  doubt-  source  than  the  known  apocry- 

ing  one  still  being  called  Salome ;  phal  documents, 
and  the  name  Zelomi,  or  Zelemi,  'Although   our   accounts   have 

as  it  is  given  in  some  Mss.,  I  already     represented     Mary     as 

take  to  be  a  mere  echo  of  that  sending   Joseph    for   a   midwife, 

name  in  slightly  changed  form.  she  now  would  fain  refuse  the 

The    Golden    Legend    calls    this  midwife's    aid.     The    latter   cir- 

other  midwife  Zebel.     In  various  cumstance  is  in  agreement  with 

mediaeval  legends,  of  which  that  Church    tradition.    Jerome    says 

of  the  Knight  of  the  Swan  is  one  she  had  no  midwife,  and  refers 

of  the  best  known,  she  is  called  to  Ps.  xxii.g. 


56  THE  NATIVITY  OF  CHRIST 

mercy  on  us !  It  hath  never  been  heard  or  thought  of  that 
any  one  should  have  her  breasts  full  of  milk/  and  that  the 
birth  of  a  son  should  show  his  mother  to  be  a  virgin.^  But 
there  hath  been  no  spilling  of  blood  in  his  birth,  no  pain  in 
bringing  him  forth.^  A  virgin  hath  conceived,  a  virgin 
hath  brought  forth,  and  a  virgin  she  remaineth."* 
(i)  And  the  midwife  said  to  Mary,  "Thou  art  not  like  the 
^7)  daughters  of  Eve."  And  Mary  said,  "As  none  among  chil- 
dren is  equal  to  my  son,  so  his  mother  hath  no  equal  among 
women."  The  old  woman  replied,  "My  lady,  I  am  come  to 
gain  a  reward ;  I  have  been  a  long  time  afflicted  with  paraly- 
sis." And  Mary  said  to  her,  "Place  thy  hands  on  the 
infant."  This  she  did,  and  was  straightway  healed.^  And 
she  cried  out,  and  said,  "This  is  a  great  day  to  me,  because  I 
have  seen  this  great  sight.  Henceforth  will  I  be  the  hand- 
maid and  servant  of  this  infant,  all  the  days  of  my  life." 

(i)      Then  Zelomi  went  forth  out  of  the  cave,  and  Salome, 

(2) 

)-\  the  other  midwife,  who  also  had  heard  these  words  which 

Zelomi  had  spoken,  met  her.     And  Zelomi  said,  "Salome, 

Salome,  I  have  a  strange  sight  to  relate  to  thee.     A  virgin 

hath  brought  forth,  a  thing  of  which  nature  admitteth  not." 

But  Salome  said,  "As  the  Lord  my  God  liveth,  unless  I 

thrust  in  my  finger,  and  search  the  parts,  I  will  not  believe 

that  a  virgin  hath  brought  forth."® 

(O      And  Salome  went  in,  and  said  to  Mary,  "Allow  me  to  han- 
(2)  ^' 


(7) 


'This  question  as  to  how  it  was  ailments    that    accompany   preg- 

possible   for   Mary  to   remain  a  nancy.     Edersheim   says   this   is 

virgin,  yet  have  her  breasts  full  derived  from  the  Jewish  legend 

of   milk,   was    discussed   by   the  which  asserted  the  same  of  the 

Church  fathers.     See  Athanasius,  mother  of  Moses, 

vol.  II,  p.  404,  Paris  ed.  ^Almost  these  exact  words  are 

^The     perpetual     virginity     of  used   by   Augustine   in   his    Ser- 

Mary,  even  in  bringing  forth,  was  mon,  14,  On  the  Birth  of  the  Lord. 

generally    held,    at    least    in    the  °The    similar    miracle    in    the 

time   of   Clement   of  Alexandria  third  paragraph  which  follows  is 

(see   Stromata,  book  VII),  and  but   another   form   of   the   same 

by  practically  all  later  writers.  narrative.     The  first  is  given  by 

^That  the  birth  was  painless  is  (8),  and  the  latter  by  (i)  and  (2). 

testified  to  by  many  fathers,  also  ^This  exclamation  and  the  trial 

that  Mary  suffered  none  of  the  that  follows,  are  an  evident  and 


SALOME'S  CORE  57 

die  thee,  awd  prove  whether  Zeiomi  hath  spoken  the  truth, 
for  no  SiTiSui  controversy  hath  arisen  aoout  thee/'  And 
Mary  allowed  ner  to  handle  her.  And  when  she  had  v/itti- 
drawn  her  hand  from  handling  her,  it  dried  up/  And 
through  excess  of  pain,  Salome  began  to  weep  bitterly,  and 
to  be  in  great  distress,  crying  out,  and  saying,  "Woe  is  me 
for  my  iniquity  and  unbelief,  because  I  have  tempted  the 
living  God;  and,  behold,  my  hand  is  dropping  off  as  i± 
burned  with  fire."  And  she  bent  her  knees  before  the  Lord, 
saying,  "O  God  of  my  fathers,  remember  that  I  am  the  seed 
of  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Make  not  a  show  of  me 
to  the  sons  of  Israel,  but  restore  me  to  the  poor;  for  Thou 
knowest,  O  Lord  God,  that  I  have  always  feared  Thee,  and 
that  without  recompence  I  have  performed  my  services  for 
all  the  poor,  in  Thy  name.  I  have  taken  nothing  from  the 
widow  and  the  orphan,  and  the  needy  have  I  not  sent  empty 
away,^  and  I  have  received  my  reward  at  Thy  hand.  And, 
behold,  I  am  made  wretched  because  of  mine  unbelief,  since 
without  cause  I  wished  to  try  Thy  virgin." 

And  while  she  was  thus  speaking,  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  (i) 
in  shining  garments,  stood  by  her,^  saying,  "Salome.  )^} 
Salome,  the  Lord  hath  heard  thee.  Go  to  the  child,  adore 
him,  touch  him  with  thy  hand  and  carry  him :  so  wilt  thou 
have  safety  and  joy,  for  he  will  heal  thee,  because  he  is  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  and  of  all  that  hope  in  him."  This  she 
did  with  haste,  and  adoring  him  she  touched  the  fringe  of 
the  cloth  in  which  he  was  wrapped,*  when  instantly  her 
hand  was  cured.  And  she  went  and  carried  him,  saying,  "I 
will  worship  him,  because  a  great  king  hath  been  born  to 

very    indelicate    parody    of    the  haps,  II   Sam.  vi.6-7.     Uzzah  is 

words  and  conduct  of  Thomas.  struck  dead  for  touching  the  "ark 

See  John  xx.24-28.  of  the   Lord."    The   appellation 

^But     the     apocryphal     writer  was  often  given  to  Mary, 

must    needs    improve    upon    the  "Cf.  Deut.  xv.ii,  etc. 

narrative  of  Thomas,  and  have  'It  is  (2)  which  everywhere  in 

the  doubter  punished !     So,  in  the  these    narratives    introduces    the 

Assumption  legends,  the  hand  of  ministry  of  angels, 

the     unbeliever     who     touches  ^Cf.    Mat.    ix.20   seq. 
Mary's  bier  is  dried  up ;  Cf.  per- 


58  THE  NATIVITY  OF  CHRIST 

Israel."  And  she  went  forth  out  of  the  cave  justified. 
And,  behold,  there  came  a  voice,  saying,  "Salome,  Salome, 
tell  not  the  strange  things  that  thou  hast  seen,  until  the  child 
hath  come  into  Jerusalem." 
(2)  And  some  shepherds,  whose  names  were  Misael,  Acheel, 
^^  Cyriacus,  and  Stephanus,^  wondered  at  the  star  which  had 
appeared,  and  affirmed  that  they  had  seen  angels  singing  a 
hymn  at  midnight,  praising  and  blessing  the  God  of  heaven, 
and  saying,  "There  hath  been  born  the  Saviour  of  all,  who 
is  Christ  the  Lord,  in  whom  salvation  shall  be  brought  to 
Israel."  And  when  they  had  lighted  a  fire,  they  rejoiced 
greatly;  and  there  appeared  to  them  the  hosts  of  heaven, 
praising  and  celebrating  God  Most  High.  And  while  the 
shepherds  were  doing  the  same,  the  cave  was  at  that  time 
made  like  a  temple  of  the  upper  world,  since  both  heavenly 
and  earthly  voices  glorified  and  magnified  God  on  account  of 
the  birth  of  the  Lord  Christ.  And  when  the  old  Hebrew 
woman  saw  the  manifestation  of  these  miracles,  she  thanked 
God,  saying,  "I  give  Thee  thanks,  O  God,  the  God  of  Israel, 
because  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  birth  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world." 
(n)  Now  at  this  time  the  people  of  Rome,  seeing  that  Augus- 
tus the  Emperor  was  so  beautiful  that  no  one  was  able  to 
sustain  his  glance,  and  so  fortunate  that  all  the  world  paid 
tribute  to  him,  wished  to  place  him  amongst  the  gods.  But 
he  was  not  willing  to  permit  it,  and  calling  the  Sibyl,^  he 
placed  before  her  the  proposition,  asking  her  whether  a 
greater  than  he  should  ever  come.  Then  there  appeared  at 
midday  a  circle  around  the  sun,  and  in  it  a  virgin  of  un- 
equalled beauty  upon  an  altar,  with  a  child  in  her  arms.  The 
Sibyl  explained  this  to  the  Emperor  as  meaning,  that  that 
child  should  be  greater  than  he,  and  that  he  ought  to  wor- 
ship it.  And  at  the  same  time  a  voice  was  heard,  saying, 
"This  is  the  altar  of  heaven,"  or,  according  to  others,  these 

'These   names   are   found,  ac-  Sanctis,    that   there   were   three 

cording    to    Hofmann,    in    Cod.  shepherds. 

Graec.  Bibl.  Palatinae.  Beda  says,  *For    note    on    the    Sibylline 

in  chap.  8  of  his  work,  De  Locis  Books,  see  chap.  XXXV. 


ox  AND   ASS   ADORE   CHRIST  59 

words  appeared  in  golden  letters  in  heaven.  Whence  it 
came  about  that  in  after  times  a  church  was  built  in  the 
place  of  the  imperial  palace,  which  was  called  St.  Mary- 
Altar  of  Heaven.^ 

And  in  Spain,  about  this  time,  three  suns  appeared  in  the  (n  ^ 
heavens,  which  came  together  as  a  symbol  of  the  Trinity.^ 

Now  on  the  third  day  after  the  birth  of  Christ,  Mary  went  (2) 
forth  out  of  the  cave,  and  entering  a  stable,  placed  the  child 
in  a  stall,  and  the  ox  and  the  ass  adored  him.  Then  was 
fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by  Isaiah  the  prophet,  say- 
ing, "The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's 
crib."^  The  very  animals,  therefore,  the  ox  and  the  ass, 
having  him  in  their  midst,  incessantly  adored  him.  Then 
was  also  fulfilled  that  which  was  said  by  Habakkuk  the 
prophet,  saying,  "Between  two  animals  thou  art  made  mani- 
fest."* And  in  the  same  place  Joseph  remained  with  Mary 
three  days. 

And  Jesus  indeed  spake,  when  he  was  lying  in  his  cradle,  (8) 
and  said  to  Mary  his  mother,  "I  am  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God, 
the  Logos,  whom  thou  hast  brought   forth  as  the  angel 
Gabriel  announced  to  thee;  and  my  Father  hath  sent  me 
for  the  salvation  of  the  world."'' 

^From  Antoninus,  Summa  His-  upon  Old  Testament  texts,  and 
torica,  I,  tit.  4,  chap.  6,  sec.  lo;  their  alleged  fulfilment  shown. 
Bonaventure;  Petrus  de  Natali-  This  legend  has  come  to  be  uni- 
bus;  Migne,  Dictionnaire  des  versally  received,  and  painters 
Legendes,  col.  901.  Nicephorus  almost  invariably  represent  the 
says  the  inscription  ran,  "This  is  ox  and  ass  in  pictures  of  the  Na- 
the  altar  of  the  first-begotten  of  tivity.  A  wide-spread  European 
God."  folk  tradition  says,  that  on  Christ- 
"Mentioned  by  Thomas  Aqui-  mas  eve,  the  domestic  animals  yet 
nas,  Summa  III,  quaest.  26,  art.  3  ;  kneel  at  midnight  in  adoration  of 
Petrus  de  Natalibus.  The  Golden  the  Saviour.  Notice,  that  in  the 
Legend  says  that  the  three  suns  above  account,  the  tradition  as  to 
denoted  the  three  things  that  are  the  cave  of  the  Nativity  having 
in  the  Godhead,  divinity,  soul,  been  a  stable,' seems  to  waver, 
and  body.  *Hab.  iii.2  runs  thus  in  the  Sep- 
als. i.3.  This  is  one  of  the  most  tuagint. 
striking  illustrations  of  how  "The  Mohammedans  give,  in 
apocryphal   tales    were   founded  various   forms,   this   miracle   of 


6o  THE   NATIVITY   OF   CHRIST 

(2)      Now  on  the  sixth  day  they  entered  Bethlehem,  where 
^^^^  they  spent  the  seventh  day.     And  Joseph  inscribed  his  name 
in  the  list  with  the  scribes  of  Bethlehem :  "Joseph,  the  son 
of  Jacob,  and  Mary  his  wife,  and  Jesus  their  son,  who  are 
of  the  house  of  David,  who  is  of  the  tribe  of  Judah."^ 
(2)      And  the  time  of  the  circumcision,  that  is,  the  eighth  day, 
^^  being  at  hand,  they  circumcised  the  child  according  to  the 
law,^  and  called  his  name  Jesus;    for  so  was  he  called  by 
the  angel  before  he  was  conceived.^     And  the  old  Hebrew 
woman  took  the  piece  of  skin,  but  some  say  she  took  the 
navel-string,*  and  she  gave  it  to  her  son  who  was  a  dealer  in 
unguents,  saying,  "See  that  thou  sell  not  this  jar  of  unguent 
of   nard,    even   though   three   hundred    denarii    should   be 
offered  thee   for   it."     And  this   is  that  jar  which   Mary 
the  sinner  brought,  and  poured  upon  the  head  and  feet  of 
the  Lord,  which,  thereafter,  she  wiped  with  the  hair  of  her 
head.^ 
(2)      Ten  days  after,  they  took  the  child  to  Jerusalem.    And  on 
^  -^  the  fortieth  day,  after  the  purification  of  Mary  was  fulfilled 
according  to  the  law  of  Moses,^  then  Joseph  took  the  infant 
to  the  temple,  and  set  him  before  the  Lord ;  and  offered  sac- 
Christ's   speaking  whilst  an  in-      that  Christ's  name  was  also  en- 
fant.    Kessaeus,  Evangelium  In-      tered  in  the  list, 
fantiae,  Sike,  n.  p.  (2),  says  that  "Lev.   xii.5.     See,     also,     Gen. 

Mary    went    forth    secretly    by      xxi.4.    The    Church    commemo- 
night,    and    sat    down    under    a      rates  the  Circumcision  of  Christ, 
palm   tree,    where    she   brought      on  Jan.  i. 
Christ  forth.    Zacharias  sent  Jo-  ^Luke  ii.21. 

seph  to   find  her,  but  when  he  *It  is  said  that  the  foreskin  is 

spoke  to  her  she  was  silent.  Then  kept  in  the  Church  of  St.  John 
the  infant  Christ  spoke  to  him  Lateran  at  Rome,  also  in  a 
in  these  words,  "Rejoice,  O  Jo-  church  at  Antwerp;  the  navel- 
seph,  be  glad  and  of  good  cour-  string  is  shown  in  the  Church  of 
age,  for  God  hath  brought  me  St.  Mary  Populi,  and  the  stone 
forth  from  the  darkness  of  the  with  which  Christ  was  circum- 
womb  into  the  light  of  this  cised,  in  the  church  of  St.  James 
world !  and  I  shall  go  unto  the      Scossa. 

children    of    Israel,    and    exhort  ^See    Luke    vii.37,    38;    John 

them  to  return  unto  obedience  to  xii.5 ;  Mark  xiv.s.  A  denarius 
God."  was  worth  about  fifteen  cents. 

^Orosius,  lib.  6,  last  chap.,  says  'Lev.  xii.4. 


THE  PRESENTATION  IN  THE  TEMPLE      6l 

rifices  for  him,  a  pair  of  turtle-doves,  or  two  young  pigeons, 
according  to  the  commandment  of  the  law  of  Moses,  which 
is :  "Every  male  that  openeth  the  womb  shall  be  called  the 
holy  of  God."^ 

Now  there  was  in  the  temple  a  man  of  God,  perfect  and  (2) 
just,  whose  name  was  Simeon,  a  hundred  and  twelve  years 
old.^  He  had  received  the  answer  from  the  Lord  that  he 
should  not  taste  of  death,  till  he  had  seen  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  living  in  the  flesh.  For  once  he  was  reading  the  scrip- 
ture, and  when  he  came  to  the  seventh  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
where  it  is  said  that  a  virgin  should  bring  forth,  he  was 
offended  at  it,  and  did  not  believe  it.  And  at  that  time  he 
received  the  promise.^ 

Then  at  this  time,  old  Simeon  saw  the  child  shining  like  (2) 
a  pillar  of  light,  when  Mary,  his  virgin  mother,  rejoicing  ^°^ 
over  him,  was  carrying  him  in  her  arms.  And  the  angels, 
praising  him,  stood  round  about  him  in  a  circle,  like  life 
guards  standing  by  a  king ;  and  Simeon  cried  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  "God  hath  visited  His  people,  and  the  Lord 
hath  fulfilled  His  promise."  Then  he  went  up  in  haste  to 
Mary;  with  hands  stretched  out  before  her,  he  adored  the 
child,  and  taking  him  up  into  his  cloak,  he  kissed  his  feet, 
and  said  to  the  Lord  Christ,  "Now,  O  Lord,  let  Thy  ser- 
vant depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy  word.  For  mine 
eyes  have  seen  Thy  compassion,  which  Thou  hast  prepared 
for  the  salvation  of  all  peoples,  a  light  to  all  nations,  and 
glory  to  Thy  people  Israel."* 

*Lev.   xii.8;    Ex.   xiii.2;   Luke  Simeon  of  the  Gospel  with  this 

ii.23.       The      Presentation      of  high   priest,   and   actually  holds 

Christ  in  the  Temple,  or  Purifi-  that  he  was  350  years  old.     It 

cation  B.  V.  M.,  is  celebrated  by  was  some  idea  of  a  like  identifi- 

the  Church  on  Feb.  2.  cation  that  made  the  apocryphal 

^The  great  age  of  Simeon  is  author  assign  the  above  great 
in  no  way  implied  in  the  canon-  age.  The  Greek  church  com- 
ical account,  Luke  ii.25-38.  Jo-  memorates  him  on  Feb.  3. 
sephus  mentions  a  Simeon  called  ^Nicephorus  gives  this  legend, 
the  "Righteous,"  who  was  high  book  1,  chap.  xii.  He  says  also, 
priest,  but  who  would  have  been  that  immediately  after  this  sight 
300  years  old,  if  living  at  this  of  Christ,  Simeon  died, 
time.    Eutychius     identifies    the  ^Luke  ii.29-32. 


il 


62  THE  NATIVITY  OF  CHRIST 

(2)  There  was  also  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  Anna,  a  proph- 
^°^  etess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  who 
had  lived  with  her  husband  seven  years  from  her  virginity. 
And  she  had  now  been  a  widow  eighty-four  years.  She 
never  left  the  temple,  but  spent  her  time  in  fastings  and 
prayer.  She  also,  likewise  coming  up,  adored  the  child, 
saying,  "In  him  is  the  redemption  of  the  world."  And  she 
gave  thanks  to  God,  and  called  Mary  blessed.^ 
(2)  And  Salome  began  to  cry  aloud,  and  to  tell  the  wonderful 
things  which  she  had  seen,  and  which  she  had  suffered,  and 
how  she  had  been  cured ;  so  that  many  through  her  state- 
ments believed. 

^Luke  ii.36-38.  The  apocry-  the  period  of  her  widowhood,  and 
phal  writer  follows  Luke  close-  not  the  whole  term  of  her  life. 
ly,  but  in  order  to  make  Anna's  In  the  Greek  church,  the  Feast  of 
age  greater,  probably  in  order  the  Circumcision  is  called  Hypa- 
to  have  it  correspond  better  with  pante,  which  denotes  the  meet- 
Simeon's,  takes  the  indefensible  ing  of  Christ  by  Simeon  and 
view  that  eighty-four  years  was  Arna  in  the  temple. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI. 

Zoroaster's  Prediction — The  Magi  watch — The  Per- 
sian Temple  —  Juno  embraced  —  The  Statues 
moved — A  Star  descends — Statues  fall — Astrolo- 
gers interpret — Idolatry  declared  ended — King 
sends  Magi — Their  Names  and  Gifts — Journey — 
Questioned  at  Jerusalem — Summoned  by  Herod — 
Worship  Child  at  Bethlehem — Present  Gifts — 
Receive  the  Cloth — Warned  about  Return — Per- 
sians revere  the  Cloth. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  21. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  16. 
(7) — Protevangelium  of  James,  Syriac  Version,  21. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  7-9. 
(9) — Narrative  of  Events  Happening  in  Persia. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  when  the  Lord  Jesus  was  born  in  (8) 
the  days  of  Herod  the  king,  behold,  Magi  came  from  the 
East,  as  Zoroaster  had  predicted.^  For  this  prophet,  who 
was  the  disciple  of  Ehjah,  arose  in  the  time  of  Cambyses,  in 
the  region  of  Assyria,  and  taught  the  Persians  concerning 
the  manifestation  of  the  Lord  Christ,  commanding  them  to 
offer  him  gifts  when  he  appeared.  And  he  revealed  to  them 
the  future;  that  in  the  last  times  a  virgin  should  conceive; 

^This    statement    is    found    in  tion,    these    prophecies    having 

(8),  as  well  as  in  many  ancient  been    contained    in    books    that 

Church  writers ;   and  the  tradi-  were  falsely  ascribed  to  Zoroas- 

tion   was   generally   received  by  ten     See  Evangelium   Infantiae, 

Oriental     Christians.     It    is,    of  Sike,  n.  p.   (25). 
course,  entirely  without  founda- 

(63) 


64 


THE  VISIT   OF  THE   MAGI 


and  that  when  the  child  was  born,  a  star  should  appear, 
which  should  shine  in  the  day  time,  and  in  its  midst  should 
be  the  figure  of  a  virgin/ 
(n)  And  the  people  called  Magi  had  also  a  book,  which  bare 
the  name  of  Seth  the  son  of  Adam,^  wherein  were  written 
all  things  concerning  the  appearance  of  this  star  and  the 
presentation  of  these  gifts.  For  when  Adam  died  there 
were  offered  before  his  body  gifts  of  gold,  frankincense,  and 
myrrh,  which  were  also  borne  with  his  body  in  the  ark 
through  the  flood,  and  buried  with  it  on  the  site  of  Jerusa- 
lem, at  the  center  of  the  earth.^  But  afterwards  they  passed 
into  the  possession  of  the  Magi,  to  be  offered  to  Christ  when 
the  time  of  his  appearing  was  come.  Now  there  were 
'The  passage  is  from  Gregorius      tics,  and  most  of  the  books  bear- 


Abulfaragius,  Historia  Dynas- 
tiarum,  p.  83.  Another  story 
identified  Zoroaster  with  Abra- 
ham, and  one  possibly  as  preva- 
lent as  the  one  given  in  the  text, 
says  that  he  was  the  same  as 
Balaam,  and  his  prophecy  was 
that  contained  in  Num.  xxiv.17. 
Modern  rationalistic  writers 
largely  refer  to  this  text,  along 
with  the  common  belief  of  many 
nations  that  celestial  phenomena 
accompanied  the  births  of  great 
men,  as  the  origin  of  the  account 
in  Mat.  ii.i-12.  For  a  full  ac- 
count of  Oriental  legends  about 
Zoroaster,  see  Bibliotheque  Ori- 
ei^tale,  D'Herbelot,  article  "Zer- 
dascht."  A  good  popular  ac- 
count is  found  in  Smith's  Bible 
Dictionary,  article  "Magi." 

^The  legend  that  Seth  was  the 
inventor  of  writing  was  wide- 
spread. See  Fabricius,  Cod. 
Pseud.  Vet.  Test.,  vol.  I,  p.  147. 
For  accounts  of  books  said  to 
have  been  handed  down  by  him, 
see  ibidem,  152-157.  Seth  was 
a  great  favourite  with  the  Gnos- 


ing  his  name  originated  with 
them.  See  Introduction  to  this 
work,  iv,  40. 

*This  passage  is  abbreviated 
from  legends  given  in  the  Book 
of  the  Combat  of  Adam,  Migne, 
vol.  I,  col.  360  seq.,  etc.,  at  great 
length.  It  is  a  curious  book. 
The  same  passage,  substantially, 
is  also  found  in  the  fragments 
of  the  Testament  of  Adam, 
quoted  by  Migne,  vol.  I,  col. 
289.  It  is  quoted  from  this  lat- 
ter work  in  the  Syriac  Transitus 
Beatae  Virginis,  Wright,  Syriac 
Apocrypha,  p.  24.  The  rest  of 
the  above  paragraph  is  found  in 
Fabricius,  Cod.  Pseud.  Vet. 
Test.,  vol.  I,  p.  153  seq.  I  have 
somewhat  abbreviated  this  ac- 
count, which  is  ascribed  to  the 
author  of  Operis  Imperfect!  in 
Matthaeum,  Homilia  II.  It  be- 
gins by  saying  that  the  twelve 
Magi  lived  on  the  ocean  at  the 
farthest  limit  of  the  Orient.  For 
identification  of  Jerusalem  with 
the  center  of  the  earth,  see  chap. 
XXVII. 


THE   PERSIAN   TEMPLE 


65 


twelve  of  these  Alagi  who  watched  for  the  appearance  of 
the  star.  And  when  one  of  their  number  died,  a  new  one 
was  chosen  in  his  place.  And  each  year  after  wheat  harvest 
they  ascended  a  mountain  called  Victorialis,  which  had  a 
cave  in  it,  and  was  rendered  pleasant  by  reason  of  its  trees 
and  fountains.  There  also  they  watched,  and  finally  the 
star  appeared  to  them  in  the  form  of  a  little  child  over 
whom  was  the  sign  of  the  cross. 

Now  there  was  also  in  the  land  of  Persia^  a  magnificent  (9) 
temple  dedicated  to  Juno.^     And  some  little  time  before  this, 
the  king,  having  entered  the  temple  with  the  view  of  getting 
the  interpretation  of  certain  dreams,  Prupippius,  the  priest, 
said  to  him,  "I  congratulate  thee,  O  master;  Juno  hath  con- 

'That  the  wise  men  came  from      they  were  kings,  probably  with 


Arabia,  was  undoubtedly  the 
oldest  and  most  widely-accepted 
view  in  the  Church.  It  was  sup- 
posed to  be  supported  by  Ps. 
Ixxii.io,  15,  and  Is.  lx.i-6,  Vul- 
gate version  of  former,  or 
Prayer-book  version  in  Eng- 
lish. This  is  favoured  by  Justin 
Martyr,  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  and 
Epiphanius.  The  Persian  tra- 
dition, however,  prevails  in 
apocryphal  literature.  It  alone 
accords  with  the  use  of  the 
name  Magi.  It  is  favoured  by 
Chrysostom,  Nicephorus,  Basil, 
and  many  others.  Theodoret 
says  they  came  from  Chaldaea, 
Hilary  from  Ethiopia,  and  later 
1  views  are  that  they  came  from 
India,  or  from  the  three  conti- 
nents, Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa. 
Similar  to  this  is  the  legend 
that  they  were  really  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth,  who  fell 
asleep  in  a  cave,  and  woke  up 
at  the  Nativity  of  Christ.  See 
Baring-Gould,  Legends  of  Old 
Testament  Characters,  vol.  I, 
p.     14a.    Legend     further     says 


reference  to  the  scripture  above 
quoted.  Cyprian,  Tertullian,  and 
Innocent  III  favour  this  view. 
Their  kingdoms  are  given  as 
Tarshish,  Nubia,  and  Saba.  The 
shrine  of  the  three  kings  at  Co- 
logne is  widely  known,  and  the 
supposed  relics  greatly  vener- 
ated. 

T  take  the  introduction  of 
Juno,  wife  of  Jupiter,  to  be  the 
author's  conception  of  the  fit- 
test classical  comparison  to  the 
case  of  Mary,  who  had  con- 
ceived by  the  power  of  the  true 
God.  All  through  this  strange 
ccmposition,  (9),  there  seems  to 
be  the  idea  of  making  classical 
heathenism  testify  prophetically 
to  the  truths  of  the  Christian 
religion;  and  much  of  this  is 
attempted  through  the  medium 
of  puns.  Juno  might  also  be 
teiken  as  a  type  of  Mary  be- 
cause she  was  called  queen  of 
heaven,  was  patroness  of  chas- 
tity, marriage,  and  child-birth, 
and  was  said  once  to  have  con- 
ceived without  intercourse. 


66  THE   VISIT   OF  THE  MAGI 

ceived."  And  the  king,  smiling,  said  to  him,  "Hath  she 
who  is  dead  conceived?"  And  he  said,  "Yes,  she  who  was 
dead  hath  come  to  Hfe  again,  and  doth  beget  Hfe."  And  the 
king  said,  "What  is  this  ?  explain  it  to  me."  And  he  replied, 
"In  truth,  master,  the  time  for  these  things  is  at  hand.  For 
during  the  whole  night  the  images,  both  of  gods  and  god- 
desses, continued  beating  the  ground,  saying  to  each  other, 
'Come,  let  us  congratulate  Juno.'  And  they  say  to  me, 
'Prophet,  come  forward ;  congratulate  Juno,  for  she  hath 
been  embraced.'  And  I  said,  'How  can  she  be  embraced 
who  no  longer  existeth?'  To  which  they  reply,  'She  hath 
come  to  life  again,  and  is  no  longer  called  Juno,  but  Urania, 
the  Heavenly,^  for  the  mighty  Sun^  hath  embraced  her.' 
Then  the  goddesses  say  to  the  gods,  making  the  matter 
plainer,  'The  Fountain^  is  she  who  is  embraced ;  for  did  not 
Juno  espouse  an  artificer?'*  And  the  gods  say,  'That  she 
is  rightly  called  the  Fountain,  we  admit.  Her  name,  more- 
over, is  Mary,^  for  she  beareth  in  her  womb,  as  in  the  deep, 
a  vessel  of  a  myriad  talents'  burden.  And  as  to  this  title, 
the  Fountain,  let  it  be  understood  thus  :  This  stream  of  water 
sendeth  forth  the  perennial  stream  of  spirit — a  stream  con- 
taining but  a  single  fish,®  taken  with  a  hook  of  Divinity,  and 

*A  play  of  words  is  evidently  the    allusion   to   Joseph   is    evi- 

here  intended  upon  the  fact  that  dent.      I    scarcely    see   how   Ju- 

Juno   ("H/Dtt)  is   connected   with  piter  can  be  called  an  artificer, 

"Epa   (earth)  ;   but   now    in   the  as  he  is  not  generally  regarded 

true  Juno,  of  whom  she  is  the  as  a  creator, 

type,  she  is  no  longer  "earthly,"  "Some   Mss.  here  give   Maria 

but  "heavenly."  and  some,  Myria.    A  play  is  in- 

^See  Mai.  iv.2,  and  Rev.  xii.i.  tended    upon    the    former    word 

'I  am  unable  to  see  any  spe-  and  the  word  myriad,  which  oc- 

cial   force    in   this    title   of   the  curs  in  the  same  sentence. 

Fountain    as    applied    either    to  *It    is    well    known    that    the 

Juno  or  Mary.     If    (9)    was  in  initials    of    the     Greek    'Ir](rov<; 

reality  originally  a  Gnostic  book,  Xpioros     ©eov      "Ytos      "^wTi^p, 

there   may   here  be   some   unal-  which  mean,  "Jesus  Christ,  Son 

tered  reference  to  a  term  pecul-  of  God,  Saviour,"  make  the  word 

iar  to  one  of  the  Gnostic  sys-  IxOv-s      i-  e.   ' '  fish,' '      The  fish 

tems.  was  on  this  account  early  used 

*As  the  Greek  word  here  used  as  a  symbol  of  Christ.    Mystical 

also  simply  means   "carpenter,"  references,  like  that  above,  are 


A  STAR  DESCENDS  67 

sustaining  the  whole  world  with  its  flesh^  as  though  it  were 
in  the  sea.  Ye  have  well  said,  'She  hath  espoused  an  arti- 
ficer.' But  by  that  espousal  she  doth  not  bear  an  artificer 
on  an  equality  with  herself.  For  this  artificer  who  is  born, 
the  son  of  the  chief  Artificer,  framed  by  His  excellent  skill 
the  roof  of  the  third  heavens,^  and  established  by  His  word 
this  lower  world,  with  its  threefold  sphere  of  habitation.'  "^ 

Thus,  then,  the  statues  disputed  with  each  other  concern-  (9) 
ing  Juno  and  the  Fountain,  and  at  length,  with  one  voice, 
they  said,  "When  the  day  is  finished,  we  all,  gods  and  god- 
desses,   shall   know   the   matter   clearly.     For   that   which 
emergeth  is  no  common  affair." 

And  when  the  king  abode  there  and  watched  the  statues,  (9) 
the  harpers  of  their  own  accord  began  to  strike  their  harps, 
and  the  muses  to  sing;  and  whatsoever  creatures  were 
within,  whether  quadruped  or  fowl,  in  silver  and  gold, 
uttered  their  several  voices.  And  as  the  king  shuddered, 
and  was  filled  with  great  fear,  he  was  about  to  retire.  For 
he  could  not  endure  the  spontaneous  tumult.  The  priest 
therefore  said  to  him,  "Remain,  O  king,  for  the  full  revela- 
tion is  at  hand,  which  the  God  of  gods  hath  chosen  to  declare 
to  us." 

And  when  these  things  were  said,  the  roof  was  opened,  (9) 
and  a  bright  star  descended  and  stood  above  the  pillar  of  the 
Fountain ;  and  a  voice  was  heard  to  this  effect,  "Sovereign  . 
Fountain,  the  mighty  Sun  hath  sent  me  to  make  the  an- 
nouncement to  thee,  and  at  the  same  time  to  do  service  to 
thee  in  parturition,  designing  blameless  nuptials  with  thee, 
O  mother  of  the  chief  of  all  ranks  of  being,  bride  of  the 
triune   Deity!     And   the   child  begotten   by   extraordinary 

frequently  found  in  the  Church  ably      derived      from     heretical 

fathers.     Observe  the  number  of  Christian  sources? 

legends  about  fishes  throughout  ^See    II    Cor.    xii.2.    For   the 

this  book.  Jewish  view  of  the  seven  heav- 

^See  the  Mohammedan  legend  ens  and  description  of  each,  see 

embodied    in    chap     XVII,   near  Eisenmenger's     Entdecktes     Ju- 

end,  and  others.     Does  this  not  denthum,  vol.  I,  p.  460  seq. 

have   its   root  in   some  mystical  '^I    suppose    that    this    means, 

idea  such  as  the  above,  and  prob-  "The  heavens  above,  the  earth 


68  THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI 

generation  is  called  the  Beginning  and  the  End/ — the  begin- 
ning of  salvation  and  the  end  of  perdition,"  And  when  this 
word  was  spoken,  all  the  statues  fell  upon  their  faces,^  that 
of  the  Fountain  alone  standing,  on  which  also  a  royal  dia- 
dem was  found  placed,  having  on  its  upper  side  a  star  set 
in  a  carbuncle  and  an  emerald.  And  on  its  lower  side  the 
star  rested. 

(9)  And  the  king  forthwith  gave  orders  to  bring  in  all  the 
interpreters  of  prodigies,  and  the  sages  who  were  in  his 
dominion.^  And  when  all  the  heralds  sped  with  their 
proclamations,  all  these  assembled  in  the  temple.  And  when 
they  saw  the  star  above  the  Fountain,  and  the  diadem  with 
the  star  and  the  stone,  and  the  statues  lying  on  the  floor, 
they  said,  "O  king,  a  root*  divine  and  kingly  hath  arisen, 
bearing  the  image  of  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth.  For  the 
Fountain  is  the  daughter  of  the  Bethlehemite  Mary.  And 
the  diadem  is  the  mark  of  a  king,  and  the  star  is  a  celestial 
announcement  of  portents  to  fall  on  the  earth.  Out  of 
Judah  hath  arisen  a  kingdom  that  shall  subvert  all  the 
memorials  of  the  Jews.  And  the  prostration  of  the  gods 
upon  the  floor  prefigureth  the  end  of  their  honour.  For  he 
who  Cometh,  being  of  more  ancient  dignity,  shall  displace 
all  the  recent.  Now,  therefore,  O  king,  send  to  Jerusalem. 
For  thou  wilt  find  the  Christ  of  the  Omnipotent  God  borne 
in  bodily  form  in  the  bodily  arms  of  a  woman."  And  the 
star  remained  above  the  statue  of  the  Fountain,  called  the 
Heavenly,  until  the  wise  men  came  forth,  and  then  it  went 
with  them. 

(9)  And  then,  in  the  depth  of  the  evening,  Bacchus^  appeared 
in  the  temple,  accompanied  by  the  Satyrs,  and  said  to  the 
images,  "The  Fountain  is  not  one  of  us,  but  standeth  far 
above  us,  in  that  she  giveth  birth  to  a  man  whose  concep- 

beneath,    and   the   waters   under  ^See  Is.  xi.io;  Iiii.2;  Rev.  v.S; 

the  earth."  xxii.i6. 

^See  Rev.  i.8;  xxi.6;  xxii.i3.  ^I  presume  that  this  god  is  in- 

"See  chaps.  V,  VII,  XXXVIII,  troduced     as     announcing     the 

for   other   instances   of   the   fall  passing  of  the  old  religion,  be- 

of  the  gods.  cause    he    represented    its    most 

^See  Dan.  ii.2,  etc.  bestial  tendencies. 


BACCHUS  UTTERS  PROPHECY      69 

tion  is  in  divine  fashion.  O  priest  Prupippius !  what  dost 
thou  tarrying  here?  An  event  foretold  by  olden  writings 
hath  come  upon  us,  and  we  shall  be  convicted  as  liars  by 
one  who  is  mighty.  Wherein  we  have  been  deceivers,  we 
have  been  deceivers;  and  wherein  we  have  ruled,  we  have 
ruled.  No  longer  give  we  oracular  responses.  Gone  from 
us  is  our  honour.  Without  glory  and  reward  are  we 
become.^  There  is  One,  and  One  only,  who  receiveth  again 
at  the  hands  of  all.  His  proper  honour.  No  longer  shall  the 
Persians  exact  tribute  of  earth  and  sky.  For  He  who  estab- 
lished these  things  is  at  hand,  to  bring  true  tribute  to  Him 
who  sent  Him,  to  renew  the  ancient  image,  and  to  put  image 
with  image,  and  bring  the  dissimilar  to  similarity.^  Heaven 
rejoiceth  with  earth,  and  earth  itself  exulteth  at  receiving 
matter  of  exultation  from  heaven.  Things  which  have  not 
happened  above,  have  happened  on  earth  beneath.^  He 
whom  the  order  of  the  blessed  hath  not  seen,  is  seen  by  the 
order  of  the  miserable.  Flame  threateneth  those;  dew  at- 
tendeth  these.  To  Mary  is  given  the  blessed  lot  of  bearing 
the  Fountain  of  Bethlehem,  and  of  conceiving  grace  of 
grace.  Judaea  hath  seen  its  bloom,  and  fadeth.  To  Gen- 
tiles and  aliens,  salvation  is  come ;  to  the  wretched,  relief  is 
ministered  abundantly.  With  right  do  women  dance,  and 
say,  'O  mistress,  the  Fountain,  spring-bearer,  mother  of  the 
heavenly  constellation,  cloud  that  bringest  us  dew  after  heat, 
remember  thy  dependents,  O  Heavenly  One.' " 

The  king  then,  without  delay,  sent  three  of  the  Magi,*  (9) 

^The  thought  here  suggests  the  ber  of  the   logia   from   Gnostic 

legend  preserved  by  Plutarch,  De  sources,  in  chap.  XIX. 

Oraculorum  Defectu,  of  how  at  ^Cf.  I.  Pet.  i. 10-12. 

the  hour  of  the  Saviour's  agony,  ^Matthew   does  not   state  that 

a  cry  of  "Great  Pan  is  dead !"  there  were  three  Magi,  but  the 

swept  across  the  sea  in  the  hear-  tradition     is     almost     universal, 

ing  of  certain  mariners,  and  the  making    this    inference    on    ac- 

oracles      ceased.     Cf.      E.      B.  count    of    the    three    gifts,    yet 

Browning's    "The    Dead    Pan,"  many  Church  writers  have  held 

and  Swinburne's  "The  Last  Or-  that  each  of  the  Magi  presented 

acle."  all    three    gifts,    e.    g.    Anselm, 

''A  Gnostic  idea.    See  a  num-  Tostatus,  Bonaventure.    Solomon 
9 


70 


THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI 


who  were  under  his  dominion,  with  the  gifts,  the  star  which 
had  already  appeared  to  them,  showing  them  the  way.  And 
the  first  of  these  was  Melchior,  an  old  man  of  sixty  years, 
with  long  white  hair  and  beard.^  He  bare  the  gold,  which 
signified  a  gift  to  Christ  as  a  king.^  And  this  gold,  which 
consisted  of  thirty  pieces,  had  not  only  been  carried  through 
the  flood  in  the  ark,  and  been  buried  with  Adam  at  Jeru- 
salem, but  it  had  afterwards  been  coined  by  Terah,  the 
father  of  Abraham.  It  was  these  pieces,  also,  for  which  the 
sons  of  Jacob  sold  Joseph  to  the  Egyptian  merchants. 
Next,  they  were  paid  to  Pharaoh  for  tribute.  Joseph  gave 
them  to  the  treasurer  of  the  kingdom  of  Sheba,  as  the  price 
of  the  perfumes  that  he  employed  to  embalm  the  body  of 
Jacob.  The  queen  of  Sheba  in  after  times  presented  them 
to  Solomon,  and  so  they  remained  in  the  royal  treasury  at 


of  Bassora,  however,  says  there 
were  twelve  Magi,  and  gives 
their  names,  as  follows :  Zarvan- 
dades  son  of  Artabanus,  Hor- 
misdas  son  of  Sitruchus,  Gus- 
nasaphus  son  of  Gunapharus, 
Arsaces  son  of  Miruchus,  these 
four  brought  the  gold;  Zarvan- 
dades  son  of  Varzudus,  Osrhoes 
son  of  Chosroa,  Artaxester  son 
of  Hulaitus,  Estunabudanes  son 
of  Sisro,  these  four  brought  the 
myrrh;  Maruchus  son  of  Chua- 
mus,  Asnerus  son  of  Asbanus, 
Sardaluchus  son  of  Baladanus, 
Merodachus  son  of  Baldad,  these 
four  brought  the  incense.  Be- 
sides the  three  names  which  I 
have  adopted  above,  and  which 
represent  the  prevalent  tradition, 
the  following  are  given :  Apel- 
lius,  Amerus,  and  Damascus ; 
Magalath,  Galgalath,  and  Sara- 
cin;  Ator,  Sator,  and  Petatoras, 
these  are  derived  from  a  curious 
palindrome  which  is  mentioned 
again  in  this  work ;    Enoch,  Elias, 


and  Melchizedek;  or  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth,  see  note 
earher  in  this  chapter.  "Some 
say,"  says  Barhebraeus,  "that 
they  were  three  princes  who 
came  with  a  thousand  men." 
James  of  Edessa  says  they  were 
twelve  princes  who  left  7,000  sol- 
diers at  the  Euphrates,  and 
came  to  Jerusalem  with  a  thou- 
sand men. 

'Beda,  vol.  Ill,  p.  649,  gives 
the  traditions  about  the  three 
Magi  which  I  here  embody, 
with  the  exceptions  noted. 
Petrus  de  Natalibus  is  respon- 
sible for  the  ages  assigned  them. 
Melchior  is  commemorated  in 
the  Roman  church  on  Jan.  6. 

'Maximus,  Homily  3,  says 
that,  "the  gold  showed  how 
costly  was  our  redemption,  the 
incense,  the  future  course  of  our 
religion,  and  the  myrrh,  the  re- 
demption of  our  flesh  and  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead." 


THE  JOURNEY  OF  THE  MAGI  71 

Jerusalem,  until  they  were  taken  away  to  the  East  in  the 
Babylonish  captivity.  There,  they  came  into  the  hands  of 
the  Magi.^  And  the  second  of  the  Magi  was  Caspar,-  a 
beardless  youth  of  twenty,  ruddy  and  of  a  fair  countenance. 
He  bare  the  incense,  which  signified  a  gift  to  Christ  as  Cod.^ 
And  the  third  was  Balthasar,*  a  swarthy  man  of  forty  years 
old,  fully  bearded.  He  bare  the  myrrh,  which  signified  a  gift 
to  the  son  of  man  about  to  die.^ 

Now  the  Magi  in  the  course  of  their  journey  required  (n) 
neither  rest  nor  refreshment,  nor  did  meat  or  drink  ever 
fail  them;  the  journey,  indeed,  which  lasted  twelve  days,® 
seemed  to  them  as  but  one  day.  The  nearer  they  approached 
to  Bethlehem,  the  brighter  the  star  shone.  And  it  seemed  to 
them  to  be  as  an  eagle  flying,  and  beating  the  air  with  his 
wings ;  and  within  it  was  the  form  and  likeness  of  a  young 
child,  and  above  him  the  sign  of  a  cross.'' 

And  when  they  came  to  Jerusalem,  this  sign,  together  (i) 
with  their  arrival,  roused  all  the  people.  "How  is  this,"  ^fs^ 
said  they,  "that  wise  men  of  the  Persians  are  here,  and  that  (9) 


'This     legend    is     quoted    by  wards  baptized  by  St.  Thomas, 

Migne,  I,  col.    1024,  n.   2216-18,  were    consecrated    bishops,    and 

from  Sandy's  Christmas  Carols.  died  as  martyrs  in  Persia. 

It  is  similar  to  the  legend  of  the  "Ambrose     and     Cyprian     say 

thirty  pieces  of  silver  for  which  that   the   myrrh   pointed   to   the 

Christ  was  betrayed.     See  chap.  incorruptibility  of  Christ's  body. 

XXIII.   There  is  everywhere  un-  "Other    legends    make    it    last 

certainty    in    all    these    mingled  two  years,  making  the  star  ap- 

traditions  about  money,  whether  pear  to  the  Magi  at  the  time  of 

gold  or  silver  is  referred  to.  the  Nativity,  but  they  not  reach- 

"Commemorated    by    the    Ro-  ing   Jerusalem    until    two    years 

man    church    on    Jan.    i ;     also  after ;  thus  Herod's  command  is 

called  Caspar  and  Jasper.  accounted  for,  that  the  children 

^Cyprian    said    it    referred    to  two  years  old  and  under  should 

Christ's  office  as  a  high  priest.  be    slain.     I    do   not   attempt  to 

*Commemorated  by  Roman  discuss  the  vexed  question  as  to 
church  on  Jan.  11.  In  more  the  time  when,  according  to 
modern  tradition,  he  is  repre-  Matthew,  this  took  place, 
sented  as  black,  a  typical  Afri-  ^This  paragraph  is  from 
can.  Roman  tradition  says  that  Sandy's  Christmas  Carols,  re- 
all  three  of  the  Magi  were  after-  ported  in  Migne,  II,  col.  469. 


^^2  THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI 

along  with  them  there  is  this  strange  stellar  phenomenon?"^ 
And  the  chief  of  the  Jews  interrogated  them  in  this  way, 
"What  is  this  that  attendeth  you,  and  with  what  purpose 
are  ye  here?"  And  the  Magi  made  strict  inquiry  of  the 
Jews,  saying,  "Where  is  he  that  is  born  king  of  the  Jews? 
for  we  have  seen  his  star  in  the  East,  and  have  come  to 
worship  him.  He  whom  ye  call  the  Messiah  is  born."  And 
the  Jews  were  confounded,  and  dared  not  withstand  the 
wise  men.  But  they  said  to  them,  "By  the  justice  of  heaven, 
tell  us  what  ye  know  of  this  matter."  And  the  Magi 
answered  them,  "Ye  labour  under  unbelief;  and  neither  with- 
out an  oath,  nor  with  an  oath,  do  ye  believe  us,  but  ye 
follow  your  own  heedless  counsel.  For  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  Most  High,  is  born,  and  he  is  the  subverter  of  your 
law  and  synagogues.  And  therefore  it  is  that  struck  with 
this  most  excellent  response  as  with  a  dart,  ye  hear  in  bit- 
terness this  name  which  hath  come  upon  you  suddenly."^ 
(i)  The  Jews,  then,  taking  counsel  together,  urged  the  Magi 
(2)  to  accept  their  gifts,  and  tell  to  none  that  such  an  event  had 
(n)  taken  place  in  this  land  of  theirs,  lest,  as  they  said,  a  revolt 
should  arise  against  them.  But  the  Magi  replied,  "We  have 
brought  gifts  in  his  honour  with  the  view  of  proclaiming 
these  mighty  things  which  we  know  to  have  happened  in 
our  country  on  occasion  of  his  birth ;  and  do  ye  bid  us  take 
your  bribes,  and  conceal  what  hath  been  told  us  by  God,  and 
neglect  the  orders  of  our  king?"  And  after  urging  many 
considerations  on  them,  the  Jews  gave  the  matter  up. 
(p)  Now  word  of  this  came  to  King  Herod,  and  so  alarmed 
him  that  he  called  together  the  scribes  and  the  Pharisees, 
with  the  teachers  of  the  people,  asking  them  where  the 
prophets  had  foretold  that  Christ  should  be  born.    And  they 

^The  best  treatment  of  the  be  found  in  Munter,  Stern  der 
theory  that  the  star  of  Bethle-  Weisen,  Copenhagen,  1827.  I 
hem  was  a  natural  phenomenon  give  in  the  preceding  chapter 
caused  by  the  conjunction  of  and  this  one,  three  several  leg- 
several  planets  two  years  before  endary  descriptions  of  the  ap- 
Christ's  birth,  which  conjunc-  pearance  of  the  star. 
tion  is  said  to  have  been  dem-  'Cf.  Mai.  iii.l. 
onstrated    astronomically,    is    to 


HEROD  EXAMINES  THE  ^lAGI  -jz 

said,  "In  Bethlehem  of  Judaea,  for  it  is  written,  'And  thou 
Bethlehem,  in  the  land  of  Judah,  art  by  no  means  the  least 
among  the  princes  of  Judah;  for  out  of  thee  shall  come 
forth  a  leader,  who  shall  rule  my  people  Israel.'  "^  And  he 
sent  them  away. 

Then  King  Herod  summoned  the  Magi  to  come  to  him,  (i) 
and  he  examined  them,  saying,  "What  sign  have  ye  seen  in  yX 
reference  to  the  king  that  hath  been  born  ?"  And  the  Magi  (9) 
said,  "There  was  one  of  great  reputation  amongst  us,  who, 
in  a  certain  book  that  he  composed,  admonished  us,  saying, 
'In  Palestine  there  shall  be  born  a  child  who  shall  arise  from 
heaven,  and  the  largest  part  of  the  world  shall  serve  him. 
The  sign,  moreover,  of  his  appearance  shall  be,  that  ye  shall 
see  a  strange  star,  which  shall  direct  you  to  a  place  where 
it  shall  remain.  When,  therefore,  ye  shall  see  it,  taking  the 
gold,  myrrh,  and  incense,  go  and  offer  them  to  the  child,  and 
adore  him ;  and  then  return,  lest  great  calamities  come  upon 
you.'  Moreover,  there  hath  appeared  to  us  a  star  of  great 
size  shining  amongst  the  other  stars,  and  obscuring  their 
light,  so  that  the  stars  did  not  appear ;  and  we  thus  know 
that  a  king  hath  been  born  to  Israel,  and  we  have  come  to 
worship  him  as  was  commanded  us."-  And  he  strictly  in- 
quired of  them  when  the  star  appeared  to  them.  And  send- 
ing them  to  Bethlehem,  Herod  said,  "Go  and  seek  him,  and 
make  strict  inquiry  about  the  child ;  and  when  ye  have  found 
him,  bring  me  word  again,  that  I  may  come  and  worship 
him  also."^ 

And  the  Magi  went  out.    And  while  they  were  going  on  (j) 
their  way,  there  appeared  to  them  the  star  which  they  had  (2) 
seen  in  the  East.     And  when  they  saw  it,  they  rejoiced  with  (q) 
great  joy.    And  it  went  before  them,  as  it  were  a  guide  to 
them,  until  it  came  to  the  place*  where  the  child  was ;  and 
it  stood  over  the  top  of  the  place.    And  afterwards  the  star 
fell  into  the  well  at  Bethlehem,  whence  Mary  had  drawn 

^Micah  V.2.  n.  p.   (25). 

^This    reply    of    the    Magi    is  ^Mat.  ii.8. 

from     Gregorius     Abulfaragius ;  ^According   to    (i)    and    (8), 

see  Evangelium  Infantiae,  Sike,  this  place  was  still  the  cave. 


74  THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI 

water.    And  there,  sometimes,  it  is  yet  seen  by  the  pure  in 
heart  who  look  into  that  well.^ 
(i)      Now  Joseph  was  ready  to  go  into  Judaea.   And,  behold, 
(2)  there  was  a  great  commotion  in  Bethlehem ;  and  the  Magi, 
(g)  going  into  the  house,  saw  the  child  sitting  in  his  mother's 
lap,  the  star  indicating  to  them  the  royal  babe.    And  she 
had  long  hands,  and  a  body  somewhat  delicate ;  her  colour 
was  like  that  of  ripe  wheat;  and  she  was  of  a  round  face, 
and  had  her  hair  bound  up.-    And  the  child  was  in  his 
second  year,^  and  had  in  part  the  likeness  of  his  mother. 
And  the  Magi  said  unto  her,  "What  art  thou  named,  O 
renowned  mother?"    And  she  said,  "Mary,  masters."   Then 
said  they  to  her,  "Whence  art  thou  sprung?"     And  she 
replied,   "From  this   district  of  the   Bethlehemites."    Then 
said    they,    "Hast   thou   not   had   a   husband?"     And   she 
answered,  "I  was  only  betrothed  with  a  view  to  the  mar- 
riage covenant,  my  thoughts  being  far  removed  from  this. 
For  I  had  no  mind  to  come  to  this.    And  while  I  was  giving 
very  little  concern  to  it,  when  a  certain  Sabbath  dawned, 
straightway  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  an  angel  appeared  to 
me,  bringing  me  suddenly  the  glad  tidings  of  a  son.     And  in 
trouble,  I  cried  out,  'Be  it  not  so  to  me,  Lord,  for  I  have  not 
a  husband,'     And  he  persuaded  me  to  believe,  that  by  the 
will  of  God  I  should  have  this  son."    Then  said  the  Magi 
unto  her,  "Mother  of  mothers,  all  the  gods  of  the  Persians 
have  called  thee  blessed.    Thy  glory  is  great ;  for  thou  art 
exalted  above  all  women  of  renown,  and  thou  art  shown  to 
be  more  queenly  than  all  queens." 
(i)      And  the  Magi,  taking  the  child  up,  each  of  them  in  his 
>^<  turn  bearing  him  in  his  arms,  saluted  and  adored  him.    And 
'(8)  they  presented  to  him  gifts,  each  of  them  offering  him  a 
'^''  piece  of  gold.     Likewise  Gaspar  presented  unto  him  the 
incense,  Melchior  the  gold,  and  Balthasar  the  myrrh.*  And 

'This    legend    of    the    well    is  ^As  I  have  before  noted,  I  do 

given  by  Gervais  of  Tilbury  and  not  attempt  to  discuss  the  hiy- 

by  Gregory  of  Tours,  Migne,  II,  torical  setting  of  the  Epiphany, 

col.  470.  *The    Western     church     cele- 

^See  description  of  Mary  near  brates  the  Epiphany  on  Jan.  6, 

the  end  of  chap.  II.  ccmmemorating   first   and   prin- 


THE  MAGI  PRESENT  THEIR  GIFTS  75 

they  addressed  him  thus,  "We  gift  thee  with  thine  own,  O 
Jesus,  ruler  of  heaven.  Ill  would  things  unordered  be 
ordered,  wert  thou  not  at  hand.  In  no  other  way  could 
heavenly  things  be  brought  into  conjunction  with  things 
earthly,  but  by  thy  descent.^  Such  service  cannot  be  dis- 
charged, if  only  the  servant  is  sent  us,  as  when  the  master 
himself  is  present ;  neither  can  so  much  be  achieved  when 
the  king  sendeth  only  his  satraps  to  war,  as  when  the  king 
is  there  himself.  It  becometh  the  wisdom  of  thy  system, 
that  thou  shouldst  deal  in  this  manner  with  men."  And 
the  child  leaped  and  laughed  at  the  caresses  and  words  of 
the  Magi. 

Likewise,  also,  the  Magi  presented  great  gifts  to  Mary  (2) 
and  Joseph.  Then  Mary  took  one  of  the  child's  swaddling-  (^) 
bands,  and  on  account  of  the  smallness  of  her  means,  gave 
it  to  them.  And  they  received  it  from  her  with  the  greatest 
marks  of  honour.  And  when  they  had  bidden  the  mother 
farewell,  and  when  she  had  shown  them  honour,  and  when 
they  had  testified  to  her  the  reverence  which  became  them, 
they  came  again  to  the  place  in  which  they  lodged.  And 
as  they  had  along  with  them  a  servant  skilled  in  painting 
from  life,  they  brought  with  them  to  their  country  a  likeness 
of  both  the  mother  and  child. - 

And  at  eventide,  when  they  were  going  to  return  to  King  (j) 
Herod,  there  appeared  to  them  in  their  sleep  an  angel  of  a  (2) 
terrible  and  fearful  countenance,  saying,  "Get  out  quickly,  (g) 
lest  ye  be  taken  in  a  snare."  And  they  in  terror  said,  "And  (9) 
who  is  he,  O  divine  leader,  that  plotteth  against  so  august 

cipally  the  visit  of  the  Magi,  but  of  Christ,  on  Jan.  6.     The  Feast 
also  the  Baptism  of  Christ  and  of    the    Epiphany    seems    to    be 
His    first    miracle    at    Cana.     It  older    than    Christmas,    and    to 
thereby  gives  its  approval  to  the  have  been  the  original  Christian 
tiadition    that    this    first    event  festival  of  the  Nativity, 
happened  twelve  days  after  the  ^Gnostic  teaching  again. 
Birth    of     Christ.      The    Greek  'The  first  version  of  this  leg- 
church   commemorates   the  visit  end  which  appears  in   so  many 
of  the  Magi  on  Dec.  25,  along  forms;  see  the  stories  of  Abgar 
with  the  Nativity,  and  commem-  and  Veronica, 
orates    principally    the    Baptism 


76  THE  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI 

an  embassage?"  And  he  replied,  "Herod.  But  get  you  up 
straightway,  and  depart  in  safety  and  peace,  another  way." 
And  they  made  speed  to  depart  thence  in  all  earnestness. 
And  in  the  same  hour  there  appeared  to  them  an  angel  in 
the  form  of  that  star  which  before  had  guided  them  on  their 
journey.  And  they  went  away,  following  the  guidance  of 
the  light,  and  entered  a  ship  that  was  going  unto  Tarshish,^ 
until  they  arrived  in  their  own  country  by  another  road. 
(8)  And  their  kings  and  their  chief  men  came  together  to 
^9^  them,  asking  what  they  had  seen  or  done,  how  they  had 
gone  and  come  back,  and  what  they  had  brought  with  them. 
Then  they  showed  them  that  swathing-cloth  which  Mary 
had  given  them ;  wherefore  they  celebrated  a  feast,  and 
according  to  their  custom,  lighted  a  fire  and  worshipped"  it,^ 
and  threw  the  swathing-cloth  into  it.  And  the  fire  laid 
hold  of  it,  and  enveloped  it.  And  when  the  fire  had  gone 
out,  they  took  out  the  swathing-cloth  exactly  as  it  had  been 
before,  just  as  if  the  fire  had  not  touched  it.  Wherefore, 
they  began  to  kiss  it,  and  to  put  it  on  their  hands  and  eyes, 
saying,  ''This  verily  is  the  truth  without  doubt.  Assuredly 
it  is  a  great  thing  that  the  fire  was  not  able  to  burn  or 
'  destroy  it."  Then  they  took  it,  and  with  the  greatest  honour 
laid  it  up  among  their  treasures.  And  they  placed  in  the 
sacred  temple  the  likeness  which  they  had  brought,  with 
this  inscription  on  it,  "To  Jove,  the  Sun,  the  mighty  God, 
the  King  of  Jesus,  the  power  of  Persia  dedicated  this." 
These  facts,  also,  were  inscribed  on  golden  plates,  and  laid 
up  in  the  temple. 

*This     legend     is     given     by  sentation  of  the  Persians  as  fire- 

Petrus  de  Natalibus  and  others.  worshippers,  which  is  the  most 

Some  give  the  name  as  Tarsus,  natural  one,  ill  consorts  with  the 

or  even  Tyre.  legend    of   the    temple    of   Juno 

^I  must  admit  that  this  repre-  which  I  have  interwoven. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT. 

Herod's  Rage  —  Massacres  Innocents  —  Mountain 
RECEIVES  Elisabeth  and  John — Herod  murders 
Zacharias — Joseph  warned — Sets  out  for  Egypt — 
Miracle  of  the  Wheat — The  Dragons — Wild 
Beasts  adore  Christ — Miracle  of  the  Palm — 
Christ  shortens  the  Journey  —  Tree  worships 
Christ — The  Great  Idol  of  Egypt  proclaims 
Christ's  Divinity — All  the  Idols  fall — Demoniac 
cured — The  Burial  of  Zacharias. 

Main  Sources:   (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  22-24. 
(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  17-24. 
(5) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  8. 
(7) — Protevangelium  of  James,  Syriac  Version,  22- 

24. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  Q-12. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  i. 
(11) — Narrative   regarding  the   Beheading  of  John 

the  Baptist. 
(28) — Account  of  the  Birth  of  John  and  Death  of 
Zacharias. 

Now  when  Herod  saw  that  he  had  been  made  sport  of  by  (i) 
the  Magi,  his  heart  swelled  with  rage,  and  he  sent  through  p^ 
all  the  roads,  wishing  to  seize  them  and  put  them  to  death.  (7) 
But  when  he  could  not  find  them  at  all,  he  learned  that  they  yl^ 
had  embarked  on  a  ship  of  Tarshish.    Then  in  his  great 
anger  he  commanded  that  all  these  ships  be  set  on  fire,  ac- 
cording to  the  prediction  of  David,  "He  shall  burn  the  ships 

i77) 


78 


THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 


of  Tarshish  in  his  anger."^  And  Herod  searched  for  Christ 
diligently,  as  he  thought  that  his  kingdom  was  to  be  of  this 
world.-  And  not  having  found  the  Lord,  in  a  rage  he  sent 
murderers  to  Bethlehem  and  all  its  borders,  commanding 
them  to  slay  all  the  male  children  whom  they  found,  of  two 
years  old  and  under,  according  to  the  time  which  he  had 
ascertained  of  the  Magi.^  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was 
spoken  by  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  saying,  "In  Rama  was 
there  a  voice  heard,  lamentation,  and  weeping,  and  great 
mourning,  Rachel  weeping  for  her  children,  and  would  not 
be  comforted,  because  they  are  not,"* 


'This  is  the  way  that  a  me- 
diaeval legend  of  the  Innocents, 
Migne,  Dictionnaire  des  Le- 
gendes,  col.  654,  quotes  the 
words  of  Ps.  xlviii.7,  but  it  is 
not  supported  by  any  reading  of 
that  passage  of  which  I  know. 
Nevertheless,  the  burning  of  the 
ships  is  an  old  and  widely  cir- 
culated legend;  it  is  often  rep- 
resented in  art ;  and  this  pas- 
sage is  always  quoted  in  connec- 
tion by  the  Church  writers,  e.  g. 
Arnobius,  Petrus  de  Natalibus. 

^John  xviii.36. 

^The  Church  commemorates 
the  Massacre  of  the  Innocents 
on  Dec.  28,  indicating  a  general 
tradition  that  this  took  place  one 
or  two  years  and  three  days 
after  the  Nativity.  The  latter  is 
the  general  traditional  view, 
with  which  our  apocrypha  seem 
to  agree;  (10)  says  Christ  was 
two  years  old.  In  the  case  of 
those  legendary  writers  who 
hold  that  the  Magi  appeared 
soon  after  the  Nativity,  Herod's 
long  delay  in  pursuing  them  is 
accounted  for  by  the  tradition 
that  he  had  in  the  meanwhile 
been    occupied   with   a    visit    to 


Rome.  Some  Mss.  of  (2)  in- 
clude a  reference  to  this.  Some 
say  he  had  to  secure  permission 
from  the  Emperor  to  slay  the 
Innocents.  The  number  of  these 
victims  is  given  at  14,000  by  old 
Ethiopic  traditions,  and  at  144,- 
000  by  the  Coptic  Acts  of  St. 
Matthew  in  Kahanat,  see  Lip- 
sius.  Farrar  has  shown  that 
from  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  the  real  number  of  the  vic- 
tims could  scarcely  have  been 
more  than  twenty.  Antoninus 
says,  that  under  various  pretexts 
Herod  gathered  all  the  mothers 
and  their  children  together  in 
one  place,  and  Christian  Druth- 
mar  adds  that  it  was  upon  the 
occasion  of  a  feast.  There  is  an 
Arabic  tradition  of  a  similar 
massacre  perpetrated  by  a  Per- 
sian king  who  was  seeking  for 
the  infant  Daniel. 

Ver.  xxxi.15.  In  a  Sahidic 
fragment  in  the  possession  of 
Lord  Crawford,  Coptic  Ms.  36, 
see  Robinson,  p.  xxii,  the  fol- 
lowing legend  explaining  this 
verse  is  given:  "Rachel  was  the 
wife  of  a  man  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi  named  Eleazar,  who  lived 


THE  MOUNTAIN  HIDES  ELISABETH 


79 


But  Elisabeth,  having  heard  that  they  were  searching  for  (i) 
John,  took  him  and  went  up  into  the  hill  country,  and  kept  ^7) 
looking  where  to  conceal  him.  Now  there  was  no  place  of  (28) 
concealment,  and  she  was  weary.  And  groaning,  with  a 
loud  voice,  she  said,  "O  mountain  of  God,  receive  a  mother 
and  child  unjustly  pursued."  And  God  sent  the  archangel 
Uriel ;  and  he  commanded  the  mountain  to  open.  And  im- 
mediately the  mountain  was  cleft,  and  received  them  within.^ 
And  the  murderers  of  Herod  came  to  the  chasm,  but  no- 
where found  how  to  enter.  And  there  within  the  chasm, 
Elisabeth  and  her  son  spent  the  time,  and  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  with  them.  A  light  shone  round  about  them,  and 
the  angels  of  the  Lord  were  with  them,  watching  over  them 
and  ministering  to  them.  And  there  was  in  that  place  a 
fountain  of  water  on  the  left  of  the  chasm,  and  on  the  right, 
a  supply  of  bread.^  And  Elisabeth  was  nourished  with  the 
bread  and  water,  but  John  with  milk. 


at  the  time  when  the  children 
of  Israel  were  in  Egypt.  He 
was  diseased  in  his  feet,  and  un- 
able to  work  at  making  bricks. 
The  taskmasters  struck  his  wife, 
and  compelled  her  to  work.  She 
was  in  a  state  of  pregnancy,  and 
the  work  was  beyond  her 
strength.  Her  child  was  pre- 
maturely born.  The  next  night, 
God  smote  the  firstborn,  and  the 
Egyptians,  in  fear,  sent  the  Is- 
raelites forth.  The  Israelites 
were  joyful;  but  Rachel  was 
weeping  for  her  child,  in  the 
midst  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  no  one  could  comfort  her. 
As  God  smote  Pharaoh  and  his 
multitude,  so  He  smote  Herod 
and  all  his  servants." 

^The  story  told  by  the  Rab- 
bins, that  Isaiah,  being  pursued 
by  the  king,  took  refuge  in  a 
cedar  tree  which  opened  at  his 
ccinmand,   is   certainly  the   rep- 


resentative of  a  class  of  legends 
from  which  the  above  was  de- 
rived. The  legend  told  farther 
on,  about  a  tree  opening  to  hide 
the  Holy  Family,  is  a  still  closer 
approximation  to  the  Isaiah 
story.  For  a  later  apocryphal 
development  of  the  latter,  see  the 
Ascension  of  Isaiah.  The  story 
of  AH  Baba,  in  the  Arabian 
Nights,  with  its  "Open,  sesame  T' 
as  well  as  many  folk-lore  stories 
of  mountains  that  opened  at 
command,  might  also  be  quoted. 
A  similar  tale  is  said  to  be  told 
in  Hindoo  mythology. 

^This  account  may  enshrine  a 
truth,  and  be  only  a  too  highly 
poetical  narrative  of  how  the 
incther  and  child,  pursued  by 
Herod,  found  safety  in  a  moun- 
tain cave.  Another  legend  tells 
that  John  was  found  by  the  Es- 
senes,  and  remained  with  them 
until  he  was  tnirty-one  years  old. 


8o 


THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 


(i)  And  Herod,  having  searched  for  John  and  not  finding 
Ay^  him,  sent  officers  to  Zacharias,  saying,  "Where  hast  thou 
(28)  hidden  thy  son  ?  Bring  him  to  me."  And  Zacharias,  answer- 
ing, said  to  them,  "I  am  the  servant  of  God  in  holy  things, 
and  I  sit  constantly  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord  beside  the 
altar ;  I  know  not  where  my  son  is."  And  the  officers  went 
away,  and  reported  all  these  things  to  Herod.  And  Herod 
was  enraged,  saying,  "His  son  is  destined  to  be  king  over 
Israel."  And  he  sent  to  Zacharias  again,  saying,  "Tell  the 
truth;  where  is  thy  son?  for  thou  knowest  that  thy  life  is  in 
my  hand."  And  Zacharias  said,  "I  am  God's  martyr,  if  thou 
sheddest  my  blood.  For  the  Lord  will  receive  my  spirit,  if 
thou  sheddest  innocent  blood  at  the  vestibule  of  His  temple," 
And  Herod,  enraged  at  this,  ordered  him  to  be  slain  in  the 
midst  of  the  altar  before  the  dawn,  that  his  slaying  might 
not  be  prevented  by  the  people.  And  Zacharias  was  mur- 
dered about  daybreak,  but  the  sons  of  Israel  did  not  know 
that^  he  had  been  slain.^ 


*(7)  here  reads  hoiv. 

*Peter  of  Alexandria  knows 
the  above  story,  and  Epiphanius 
says  Zacharias  was  slain  by 
Herod,  but  does  not  refer  to  the 
circumstances.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  the  above  was  in- 
vented as  a  supposed  explana- 
tion of  Mat.  xxiii.2S.  Gregory 
of  Nyssa  says  he  was  slain  in  a 
space  between  the  temple  and 
the  altar.  He  also  tells  another 
story,  that  he  was  slain  by  the 
Jews  because  he  brought  Mary 
into  the  place  of  the  virgins  in 
the  temple,  after  she  had  borne 
a  son.  Origen,  Cyril  of  Alex- 
andria, Basil,  and  Theophylactus 
all  knew  this  story.  Epiphanius 
tells  a  strange  story,  taken  from 
an  apocryphal  (Gnostic)  book, 
of  how  Zacharias  saw  in  the 
temple  a  man  having  the  form 
of  an  ass,  and  it  was  really  this 


being  that  the  Jews  worshipped. 
He  was  struck  dumb,  so  that  he 
could  not  tell  this ;  but  when  he 
recovered  his  speech  and  told  it, 
the  Jews  killed  him  on  that  ac- 
count. There  is  evidently  some 
connection  between  this  and  the 
mysterious  early  charge  against 
the  Christians,  that  they  wor- 
shipped the  head  of  an  ass.  See 
notes  on  p.  3,  vol.  I,  Fabricius, 
Cod.  Apoc.  Nov.  Test.,  also  Eis- 
enmenger,  I,  p.  481,  where  it  is 
said  to  be  held  by  the  Jews  that 
Messiah  the  son  of  David  is  sig- 
nified by  an  ass.  D'Herbelot, 
p.  911,  art.  "Zakaria,"  tells  the 
Mohammedan  legend  that  Zach- 
arias was  killed  by  the  Jews  be- 
cause he  would  not  believe  that 
a  virgin  could  conceive.  He  hid 
in  the  hollow  trunk  of  a  tree, 
but  the  Jews  sawed  it  through, 
zs  the  legend  tells  of  Isaiah. 


ZACHARIAS  MURDERED  8i 

But  at  the  hour  of  the  sakitation,  the  priests  went  away,  (i) 
and  Zacharias  did  not  come  forth  to  meet  them  with  a  bless-  ^7) 
ing  according  to  his  custom.  And  the  priests  stood  waiting  (28) 
for  Zacharias,  to  sakite  him  at  the  prayer,  and  to  glorify  the 
Most  High.  And  he  still  delaying,  they  were  all  afraid.  But 
one  of  them  ventured  to  go  in,  and  he  saw  clotted  blood 
beside  the  altar;  and  he  heard  a  voice,  saying,  "Zacharias 
hath  been  murdered,  and  his  blood  shall  not  be  wiped  up 
until  his  avenger  come."^  And  hearing  this  saying,  he  was 
afraid,  and  went  out  and  told  the  priests.  And  they  ventured 
in,  and  saw  what  had  happened ;  and  the  fretwork  of  the 
temple  made  a  wailing  noise ;  and  they  rent  their  clothes 
from  the  top  even  unto  the  bottom.  And  they  found  not  his 
body,  but  they  found  his  blood  turned  into  stone.  And  they 
were  afraid,  and  went  out,  and  reported  to  the  people  that 
Zacharias  had  been  murdered.  And  all  the  tribes  of  the 
people  heard,  and  mourned,  and  lamented  for  him  three  days 
and  three  nights.-  And  after  the  three  days,  the  priests  con- 
sulted as  to  whom  they  should  put  in  his  place ;  and  the  lot 
fell  upon  Simeon.^   For  it  was  he  that  had  been  warned  by 

^The  Jewish  tradition  as  to  the  ing  tranquil  when  this  was  done, 
blood  of  Zechariah  the  prophet  and  the  common  people  alone  re- 
and  the  vengeance  that  should  mained."  The  idea  that  the 
be  taken  for  him,  is  almost  pre-  blood  of  a  murdered  man  can- 
cisely  as  is  narrated  above,  not  be  wiped  up,  is  very  ancient, 
showing  what  a  great  part  II  and  many  well  known  legends 
Chron.  xxiv.20-22  had  in  form-  of  this  kind  might  be  cited, 
ing  the  Zacharias  legend.  These  Sozomen  tells  in  his  Church  His- 
traditions  were  accepted  by  the  tory,  IX,  17,  how  under  the  Em- 
Church  fathers,  as  referring  to  peror  Valentinian,  the  uncor- 
the  father  of  John  the  Baptist.  rupted  body  of  the  prophet  Zech- 
For  these  Jewish  traditions,  see  ariah  was  dug  up.  This  circum- 
Eisenmenger,  I,  p.  469.  Accord-  stance  may  have  had  some  part 
ing  to  the  Jewish  book,  Gittim,  in  developing  the  above  legend. 
"In  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  ^The  Jews  ordinarily  wept 
the  blood  of  Zacharias  was  three  days  for  the  dead,  and 
avenged  as  he  predicted.  Al-  mourned  seven, 
though  turned  to  stone,  it  boiled  ^It  is  to  be  inferred  from  Luke 
up  and  stirred  up  the  Roman  ii.25-32,  that  Simeon  was  not  a 
soldiers  to  kill  all  the  priests,  priest, 
judges,  and  rulers,  only  becom- 


82  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

the  Holy  Spirit  that  he  should  not  see  death  until  he  should 

see  the  Christ  in  the  flesh, 
(i)      Now  the  day  before  this  was  done,  Mary,  having  heard 
(2)  that  the  children  were  being  killed,  was  afraid,  and  took 

(7)  the  child  Jesus  and  swaddled  him,  and  put  him  into  an  ox- 

(8)  stall.  But  Joseph  was  warned  in  his  sleep  by  Michael,  the 
(11)  angel  of  the  Lord,  who  said  to  him,  "Take  Mary  and  the 
(28)  child,  and  go  into  Egypt  by  the  way  of  the  desert."^    So 

Joseph  arose  towards  cock-crow,  and  set  out  according  to 
the  saying  of  the  angel.  And  he  put  the  virgin  and  the  boy 
upon  a  beast,  and  himself  mounted  another,  and  took  the 
road  through  the  hill  country  and  the  desert,  that  he  might 
get  safe  to  Egypt ;  for  they  did  not  want  to  go  by  the  shore, 
for  fear  of  being  waylaid.^  And  Zacharias  had  supplied 
them  with  all  things  needful  for  the  journey.^  And  there 
were  with  Joseph  three  boys,  and  with  Mary  a  girl,  going 
on  the  journey  along  with  them.  Salome*  also,  was  their 
fellow-traveller.  And  Christ  lay  in  his  mother's  bosom. 
While,  now,  Joseph  was  reflecting  upon  how  he  was  to  set 
about  his  journey,  morning  came  upon  them  after  they  had 
gone  a  very  little  way.  And  in  the  length  of  the  journey  the 
girths  of  the  saddle  broke.^ 
(n)  And  on  the  way  they  found  a  labourer  who  was  sov/ing 
wheat.  Then  the  child  Jesus  put  his  hand  into  the  sack,  and 
threw  a  handful  of  wheat  upon  the  road.     Immediately,  the 

^Mat.     ii.14.     (28)      says     the  out  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  at 

warning  was   given  by  "Sapho-  night.     Some  Church  fathers  say 

damuel,    who    is    the    might    of  that  the  gifts  of  the  Magi  provi- 

God  the  Most  High."  dentially    furnished    means    for 

^This  passage  is  found  only  in  the  expenses  of  the  journey, 

certain  Mss.  of  (2).  ^Mentioned    only    by    (s).    It 

^This    sentence    is    from    Kes-  will  be  remembered  that  this  was 

saeus,   Evangelium   Infantiae,  n.  the  name  of  Anna's  third  hus- 

p.    (27).    He    says    that   Herod  band,  of  the  midwife,  and  of  sev- 

bad    destined    Mary,    the    child,  eral  other  apocryphal  characters, 

and    Zacharias,    to    death.     The  Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.s6,  Mark  xv.40. 

last-named    went    and    told    Jo-  ''This  sentence  is  found  in  the 

seph,    supplying  them   as   above  text  as  given  by  Sike  and  Thilo. 

stated,  warning  them  to  flee  into  Tischendorf  omits  it. 
Egypt,  and  accompanying  them 


THE  BEASTS  ADORE  CHRIST  83 

wheat  became  so  large  and  ripe  that  one  would  think  it  had 
been  there  a  year.  And  when  the  soldiers  of  Herod,  who 
sought  the  child  to  slay  him,  came  to  that  labourer  who  was 
then  reaping  his  wheat,  they  asked  him  whether  he  had 
seen  a  woman  pass  who  was  carrying  a  child.  "Yes,"  said 
he,  "when  I  was  sowing  this  wheat."  Then  the  murderers 
thought  that  he  did  not  know  what  he  was  doing ;  for  it  must 
have  been  a  year  since  that  wheat  was  sown.  So  they  turned 
back.^ 

And  having  come  to  a  certain  cave,  and  wishing  to  rest  (2) 
in  it,  Mary  dismounted  from  her  beast,  and  sat  down  with 
the  child  Jesus  in  her  bosom.  And,  lo,  suddenly  there  came 
forth  from  the  cave  many  dragons.  And  when  the  children 
who  were  with  them  saw  them,  they  cried  out  in  great 
terror.  Then  Jesus  went  down  from  the  bosom  of  his 
mother,  and  stood  on  his  feet  before  the  dragons ;  and  they 
adored  Jesus,  and  thereafter  retired.  Then  was  fulfilled  that 
which  was  spoken  by  David  the  prophet,  saying,  "Praise  the 
Lord  from  the  earth,  ye  dragons,  ye  dragons  and  all  deeps."^ 
And  the  young  child  Jesus,  walking  before  them,  com- 
manded them  to  hurt  no  man.  But  Mary  and  Joseph  were 
very  much  afraid  lest  perchance  the  child  should  be  hurt  by 
the  dragons.  And  Jesus  said  to  them,  "Fear  not,  nor  con- 
sider me  to  be  a  little  child,  for  I  am,  and  always  have  been 
perfect ;  and  all  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest  must  needs  be 
tame  before  me." 

In  like  manner,  lions  and  leopards  adored  him,  and  accom-  r^y, 
panied  them  in  the  desert.  Wherever  Joseph  and  the  blessed 

^This  paragraph  consists  of  a  the  succeeding  narrative  for  sev- 

kgend    reported    by    Migne,    II,  eral  paragraphs  seems  to  be  to 

col.    385.     It    is    from    a    book  show,  how  Christ  from  the  be- 

printed  at  Lyons  about  the  end  ginning    was    perfect    man    and 

of  the  XV  century.     The  story  perfect  God,  and  was  recognized 

is   a   mere  variation  of  another  as  such  by  the  different  parts  of 

regarding    the    Infancy,    told    in  the    creation,    monsters,    beasts; 

chap.  IX,  but  is  of  sufficient  in-  vegetable     world,     evil     spirits, 

terest  to  be  introduced  here  in  Portions  of  scripture  are  ingen- 

this  altered  form.  iously  cited  as  predictions  of  this 

^Ps.   cxlviii.7.    The   object   of  recognition. 


84  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

Mary  went,  they  went  before  them,  showing  them  the  way, 
and  bowing  their  heads;  and  showing  their  submission  by 
wagging  their  tails,  they  adored  him  with  great  reverence. 
Now  at  first,  when  Mary  saw  the  Hons  and  the  leopards  and 
various  kinds  of  wild  beasts  coming  about  them,  she  was 
very  much  afraid.  But  the  infant  Jesus  looked  into  her  face 
with  a  joyful  countenance,  and  said,  "Be  not  afraid,  mother; 
for  they  come  not  to  do  thee  harm,  but  they  make  haste  to 
serve  both  thee  and  me."  With  these  words  he  drove  all  fear 
from  her  heart.  And  the  lions  kept  walking  with  them,  and 
with  the  oxen,  and  the  asses,  and  the  beasts  of  burden  which 
carried  their  baggage,  and  did  not  hurt  a  single  one  of  them, 
though  they  kept  beside  them ;  but  they  were  tame  among 
the  sheep  and  rams  which  they  had  brought  with  them  from 
Judaea,  and  which  they  had  with  them.  They  walked  among 
wolves,  and  feared  nothing;  and  no  one  of  them  was  hurt 
by  another.  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by 
the  prophet,  "Wolves  shall  feed  with  lambs ;  the  lion  and  the 
ox  shall  eat  straw  together."^  There  were  two  oxen  also 
with  them,  and  a  cart,  wherein  they  carried  necessaries ;  and 
the  lions  directed  them  in  their  way. 

(n)  And  as  they  were  proceeding  on  their  way,  Joseph  saw  a 
great  lion  standing  in  the  way  where  two  roads  met.  And 
when  he  showed  fear  of  it,  Jesus  spake  to  the  lion,  and  said, 
"That  bull  which  thou  desirest  to  tear  in  pieces  belongeth  to 
poor  men ;  but  go  thou  to  a  certain  place,  where  thou  wilt 
find  a  dead  camel,  and  devour  it."  Then  the  lion  went,  and 
devoured  the  camel.^ 

(2)  Now  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third  day  from  their  departure, 
as  they  went  along,  that  the  blessed  Mary  was  fatigued  by 
the  excessive  heat  of  the  sun  in  the  desert ;  and  seeing  a  palm 
tree,  she  said  to  Joseph,  "Let  me  rest  a  little  under  the  shade 

'Is.  lxv.2S.     See  also  Is.  xi.6-9.  mestic  animals  comes  from  Isaiah 

Many   classical   stories  tell   how  as  above. 

animals     yielded     obedience     to  'This    paragraph    is    given   by 

men.     See    the    famous    stories  Kessaeus,  Evangelium  Infantiae, 

told  in  this  regard  of  St.  Francis  n.  p.   (28).     It  is  plainly  a  Mo- 

cf  Assisi.     The  idea  of  beasts  of  hammedan   version   of   the   pre- 

prey  dwelling  peaceably  with  do-  ceding  miracle. 


THE  MIRACLE  OF  THE  PALM  85 

of  this  tree,"  Joseph  therefore  made  haste,  and  led  her  to  the 
palm,  and  made  her  come  down  from  her  beast.  And  as  the 
blessed  Mary  was  sitting  there,  she  looked  up  to  the  foliage 
of  the  palm,  and  saw  it  full  of  fruit,  and  said  to  Joseph,  "I 
wish  it  were  possible  to  get  some  of  the  fruit  of  this  palm." 
And  Joseph  said  to  her,  "I  wonder  that  thou  sayest  this, 
when  thou  seest  how  high  the  palm  tree  is ;  and  that  thou 
thinkest  to  eat  of  its  fruit.  I  think  more  of  the  scarcity  of 
water,  because  the  skins  are  now  empty,  and  we  have  none 
wherewith  to  refresh  ourselves  and  our  cattle."^  Then  the 
child  Jesus,  with  a  joyful  countenance,  reposing  in  the  bosom 
of  his  mother,  said  to  the  palm,  "O  tree,  bend  thy  branches, 
and  refresh  my  mother  with  thy  fruit."  And  immediately  at 
these  words,  the  palm  bent  its  top  down  to  the  very  foot  of 
the  blessed  Mary;  and  they  gathered  from  it  fruit,  with 
which  they  were  all  refreshed.  And  after  they  had  gathered 
all  its  fruit,  it  remained  bent  down,  waiting  the  order  to  rise 
from  him  who  had  commanded  it  to  stoop.  Then  Jesus  said 
to  it,  "Raise  thyself,  O  palm  tree,  and  be  strong,  and  be  the 
companion  of  my  trees,  which  are  in  the  paradise  of  my 
Father;  and  open  from  thy  roots  a  spring  of  water  which 
hath  been  hidden  in  the  earth,  and  let  the  waters  flow,  so 
that  we  may  be  satisfied  from  thee."  And  it  rose  up  imme- 
diately, and  at  its  root  there  began  to  come  forth  a  spring  of 
water,  exceedingly  clear  and  cool  and  sparkling.  And  when 
they  saw  the  spring  of  water,  they  rejoiced  with  great  joy, 
and  were  satisfied,  themselves  and  all  their  cattle  and  their 
beasts.  Wherefore  they  gave  thanks  to  God.- 

^A  surprisingly  surly  character  of  this  story.     Similar  tales  are 

is  attributed  to  Joseph  in  many  told  by  later  writers  in  manifold 

of  these  legends.  form.   Hofmann  gives,  p.  146,  the 

'For  an  O.  T.  text  that  may  story  of  how  all  the  trees,  ex- 
have  suggested  the  bowing  of  the  cept  the  poplar,  bowed  down  be- 
palm,  see  Cant,  vii.8,  and  for  the  fore  Christ,  and  it,  for  its  ob- 
gushing  forth  of  fountain  in  des-  stinacy,  was  condemned  to  bow 
ert.  Num.  xxi.17;  Ps.  Ixxxiv.6;  to  the  breeze,  morning  and  even- 
Is.  XXXV.6.  The  legend  pre-  ing.  Also  a  similar  tale  of  how 
served  by  Sozomen,  given  in  the  the  aspen,  for  this  same  reason, 
second  paragraph  following,  was  condemned  forever  to  quiver, 
would  seem  to  be  the  oldest  form  Cowper,  introduction,  p.  xxxviii, 
10 


86  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

(2)  And  on  the  day  after,  when  they  were  setting  out  thence, 
and  at  the  hour  when  they  began  their  journey,  Jesus,  turn- 
ing to  the  palm  tree,  said,  "This  privilege  I  grant  thee,  O 
palm  tree,  that  one  of  thy  branches  be  carried  away  by  my 
angels,  and  planted  in  the  paradise  of  my  Father.  And  this 
blessing  I  will  confer  upon  thee,  that  it  shall  be  said  of  all 
who  conquer  in  any  contest,  'Ye  have  attained  the  palm 
of  victory.'  "^  And  while  he  was  thus  speaking,  behold,  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  appeared,  and  stood  upon  the  palm  tree; 
and  taking  off  one  of  its  branches,  flew  to  heaven  with  the 
branch  in  his  hand.^  And  when  they  saw  this,  they  fell  on 
their  faces,  and  became  as  it  were  dead.^  And  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Why  doth  fear  possess  your  hearts?  Know  ye  not 
that  this  palm,  which  I  have  caused  to  be  transferred  to  par- 
adise, shall  be  prepared  for  all  the  saints  in  the  place  of 
delights,  as  it  hath  been  prepared  for  us  in  this  place  of  the 
wilderness?"  And  they  were  filled  with  joy;  and  being 
strengthened,  they  all  rose  up.* 

(2)  After  this,  while  they  were  going  on  their  journey,  Joseph 
said  to  Jesus,  "Lord,  this  heat  broileth  us ;  if  it  please  thee, 
let  us  hold  our  course  near  the  sea,  that  we  may  rest  in  the 

prints  an  interesting  late  ballad  pression,   "Thanks  be   to   God." 

about  Mary  and  the  Cherry  Tree.  Christ's  causing  a  spring  to  well 

For  a  curious  story  of  trees  that  forth    in    the    desert    to    quench 

miraculously  bent  over  to  help  a  Mary's  thirst  was  commemorated 

saint  across  a  river,  see  Narrative  by    the    Abyssinian    church    on 

of  Zosimus,   Ante-Nicene   Path-  June  8. 

ers,  vol.  V,  p.  220.  "This  particular  turn  of  the 
^Agreat  anachronism,  of  course,  legend  is  certainly  connected 
as,  long  before  Christ,  the  palm  with  the  story  of  Seth,  who  re- 
branch had  been  recognized  as  ceived  the  branch  from  paradise, 
a  symbol  of  victory.  Cicero  in  some  versions  said  to  be  of 
speaks  of  it.  But  it  did  become  palm,  see  chap.  XXV;  and  also 
a  favourite  Christian  symbol,  par-  with  the  palm  leaf  received  by 
ticularly  of  the  martyr's  victory.  Mary  from  paradise,  see  the  As- 
This  is  an  instance  of  the  tend-  sumption  legends.  I  think  the 
ency  to  endeavour  to  give  a  su-  importance  attached  to  the  palm 
pernatural  and  exclusively  Chris-  was  originally  a  Gnostic  idea, 
tion  origin  to  recognized  cus-  'See  Rev.  i.17,  etc. 
toms,  as  in  the  case  of  the  ex-  *See  Dan.  x.i8,  etc. 


THE  ENTRY  INTO  EGYPT  87 

cities  on  the  coast. "^  Jesus  said  to  him,  '"Fear  not,  Joseph,  I 
will  shorten  the  way  for  you,  so  that  what  ye  would  have 
taken  thirty  days  to  go  over,  ye  shall  accomplish  in  this  one 
day."-  And  while  they  were  thus  speaking,  behold,  they 
looked  forward,  and  began  to  see  the  mountains  and  cities 
of  Egypt. 

And  rejoicing  and  exulting,  they  came  into  the  regions  of  (2) 
Hermopolis,  and  when  entering  at  the  gate,  a  great  tree 
which  stood  before  it,  as  if  not  enduring  the  advent  of  Christ, 
inclined  to  the  ground,  and  worshipped  him.  And  of  this 
tree,  called  Persis,  the  branches,  the  leaves,  and  the  least 
portion  of  the  bark  are  said  to  heal  diseases  when  touched  by 
the  sick.  This  phenomenon  was  a  sign  of  the  presence  of 
God  in  the  city,  or,  perhaps,  as  seemeth  most  probable,  the 
tree  which  had  been  worshipped  by  the  inhabitants  after  the 
pagan  custom,  was  shaken  because  the  demon,  who  had  been 
an  object  of  worship,  started  up  at  the  sight  of  him  who 
was  manifested  for  purification  from  such  agencies.  On  the 
expulsion  of  the  demon,  the  tree  was  permitted  to  remain  as 
a  monument  of  what  had  occurred,  and  was  endued  with 
the  property  of  healing  those  who  believed.^ 

And  entering  into  this  great  city  of  Egypt  which  is  called  (2) 
Sotinen,*  because  they  knew  no  one  there  from  whom  they  ^^ 

^Some     Mss.     of     (2)     read,  siastical  History,  V,  21.     It  is  in- 

"Lord,  this  heat  broileth  us,  and  teresting,  not  only  as  giving  the 

it  is  very  difficult  for  us  to  get  most  primitive  form  of  the  mir- 

into    Egypt    on    account    of   the  acle    of    the    adoring    tree,    but 

mountains  of  the  desert."  as    illustrating   the    superstitious 

"The  idea  of  the  shortening  of  ideas  entertained,  even  by  one  of 

the  journey  towards  Egypt  would  the    most     enlightened     of     the 

be     readily     suggested     to     the  Church  writers,  at  the  beginning 

Christian    romancer  by   the   ac-  of  the  fifth  century, 

count  of  the  lengthening  of  Is-  ''Also  given  as  Sotrina  and  So- 

rael's    journey    from    Egypt    on  hinen.     It  seems  to  be  the  inten- 

account    of   sin.      It   was   fitting  tion  of   (2)   to  regard  it  as  the 

that  in  the  case  of  the  sinless  one  Egyptian  equivalent  of  the  name 

this  contrast  should  be  shown.  Hermopolis.     There  were  two  or 

^I   have   adapted   the   most   of  three   cities   in  Egypt  called  by 

this      paragraph,      with      slight  this  latter  name.     Sozomen  says 

changes,  from  Sozomen's  Eccle-  this  one  was  in  the  Thebaid,  but 


88  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

could  ask  hospitality,  they  went  into  a  hospital,  which  was 
dedicated  to  the  idol  of  the  temple,  which  was  called  the 
Capitol  of  Egypt.  Now  in  this  temple  there  was  an  idol  to 
which  the  other  idols  and  gods  of  the  Egyptians  offered  gifts 
and  vows.  And  in  this  temple  there  had  been  set  up  three 
hundred  and  fifty-five  idols,^  to  each  of  which  on  its  own  day 
divine  honours  and  sacred  rites  were  paid.  And  there  stood 
before  this  idol  a  priest  ministering  to  him,  who,  as  often 
as  Satan  spake  from  that  idol,  reported  it  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Egypt  and  its  territories.^  And  the  Egyptians  belonging 
to  the  same  city  entered  the  Capitol,  in  which  the  priests  told 
them  how  many  sacrifices  were  offered  each  day,  according 
to  the  honour  in  which  the  god  was  held. 
(2)  And  when  Joseph  and  Mary  had  come  to  that  city,  and 
^^  had  turned  aside  to  that  hospital,  the  citizens  were  very  much 
afraid;  and  all  the  chief  men  and  the  priests  of  the  idols 
came  together  to  that  idol,  and  said  to  it,  "What  agitation 
and  commotion  is  this  that  hath  arisen  in  our  land?"  The 
idol  answered  them,  "A  God  hath  come  here  in  secret,  who 
is  God  indeed ;  nor  is  any  god  besides  Him  worthy  of  divine 
worship,  because  He  is  truly  the  Son  of  God.  And  when  this 
land  became  aware  of  His  presence,  it  trembled  at  His 
arrival,  and  was  moved  and  shaken ;  and  we  are  exceedingly 
afraid  from  the  greatness  of  His  power."  And  in  the  same 
hour  the  idol  fell  down.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  most 

this  locality  in  upper  Egypt  was  Abracadabra.     Cowper  sees  here 

a  very  unlikely,  not  to  say  im-  a    suggestion    of    Gnostic    ideas, 

possible  place  for  the  Holy  Fam-  and  a  possible  clue  to  the  identi- 

ily  to  have  entered  first.  fication  of  one  of  the  sources  of 

'Evidently    an    error    for    365,  (10)  with  the  lost  Gospel  of  Bas- 

one   for  each   day   in   the   year.  ilides.     No  nation  was  so  given 

Basilides  the  Gnostic  said  there  to    idolatry   as    Egypt,    or   wor- 

were  365  heavens ;  and  this  idea  shipped  so  many  gods.     See  Je- 

was     enshrined     in     the     name  rome  on  Isaiah. 

Abraxas   for   God,   the   numeral  "The  Egyptians  had  many  or- 

equivalent  for  which,  in  Greek,  acles.    That  of  Jupiter  Ammon 

was  365.     The  Abraxas  religion  at  Thebes  was  the  most  famous, 

had  at  one  time  wide  extension,  and  is  probably  the  one  the  apoc- 

and  its  memory  is  preserved  to  ryphal  writer  here  had  in  mind, 
this   day    in    the   magical   word 


THE  FALL  OF  THE  IDOLS  89 

blessed  Mary  went  into  the  temple  with  the  little  child,  that 
all  the  idols  prostrated  themselves  on  the  ground,  so  that 
all  of  them  were  lying  on  their  faces  shattered  and  broken 
to  pieces  ;^  and  thus  they  plainly  showed  that  they  were  noth- 
ing. Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  said  by  the  prophet 
Isaiah,  "Behold,  the  Lord  will  come  upon  a  swift  cloud,  and 
will  enter  Egypt,  and  all  the  handiwork  of  the  Egyptians 
shall  be  moved  at  His  presence."^  And  at  the  fall  of  the 
idols,  all,  inhabitants  of  Egypt  and  others,  ran  together. 

Now  the  priest  of  the  great  idol  had  a  son,  three  years  (g) 
old,  beset  by  several  demons ;  and  he  made  many  speeches 
and  utterances,  and  when  the  demons  seized  him,  he  tore 
his  clothes,  and  remained  naked,  and  threw  stones  at  the 
people.  And  he,  his  usual  disease  having  come  upon  him, 
entered  the  hospital,  and  there  came  upon  Joseph  and  Mary, 
from  whom  all  others  had  fled.  Now  Mary  had  washed  the 
clothes  of  the  Lord  Christ,  and  had  spread  them  over  some 
wood.  That  demoniac  boy,  therefore,  came  and  took  one  of 
the  cloths,  and  put  it  on  his  head.  Then  the  demons,  fleeing 
in  the  shape  of  ravens  and  serpents,  began  to  go  forth  out 
of  his  mouth.^  The  boy,  being  immediately  healed  at  the 
command  of  the  Lord  Christ,  began  to  praise  God,  and  then 
to  give  thanks  to  the  Lord  who  had  healed  him.    And  when 

^See  I  Sam.  v.3.  told  by  the  Rabbins,  e.  g.  Baring- 
"Is.  xix.i.  We  have  already  Gould's  Legends  of  O.  T.  Char- 
seen  how  it  was  held  that  the  acters,  vol.  I,  p.  170  seq.  I  think 
idols  fell  in  Egypt  at  Christ's  these,  along  with  the  above 
birth,  and  also  fell  in  Persia.  piophecy,  most  likely  to  have 
But  here  is  the  classical  legend,  been  the  inspiration  of  this  leg- 
of  which  those  are  but  the  re-  end.  It  is  also  related  that  the 
flections.  This  story  is  believed  idols  bowed  when  the  infant 
by  Eusebius,  Origen,  Athana-  Buddha  was  presented  in  the 
sius,   Cyril  of  Jerusalem,   Sozo-  temple. 

men,  Procopius,  Palladius,  An-  'It  would  seem  that  the  de- 
selm,  Bonaventure,  and  many  mons  fled  from  the  mouth  be- 
later  writers.  Kessaeus  tells  a  cause  they  were  spirits  that 
similar  story  of  the  fall  of  the  caused  the  boy  to  make  "many 
idols  at  the  birth  of  Moses,  speeches  and  utterances."  The 
Evangelium  Infantiae,  n.  p.  raven  and  serpent  are  every- 
(45).  See  also  the  many  tales  where  regarded  as  types  of  ma- 
about   Abraham   and   the   idols,  lign  powers. 


90  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

his  father  saw  him  restored  to  health,  "My  son,"  said  he, 
"what  hath  happened  to  thee  ?  and  by  what  means  hast  thou 
been  healed?"  The  son  answered,  "When  the  demons  had 
thrown  me  on  the  ground,  I  went  into  the  hospital,  and 
there  I  found  an  august  woman  with  a  boy,  whose  newly- 
washed  clothes  she  had  thrown  upon  some  wood;  one  of 
these  I  took  up  and  put  upon  my  head,  and  the  demons  left 
me  and  fled."^  At  this  the  father  rejoiced  greatly,  and  said, 
"My  son,  it  is  possible  that  this  boy  is  the  Son  of  the  living 
God  who  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth ;  for  when  he 
came  over  to  us,  the  idol  was  broken,  and  all  the  gods  fell 
and  perished  by  the  power  of  his  magnificence," 

(8)  Here  was  fulfilled  the  prophecy  which  saith,  "Out  of 
Egypt  have  I  called  my  son."^  Joseph,  indeed,  and  Mary, 
when  they  heard  that  the  idols  had  fallen  down  and  perished, 
trembled,  and  were  afraid.  Then  they  said,  "When  we  were 
in  the  land  of  Israel,  Herod  thought  to  put  Jesus  to  death, 
and  on  that  account  slew  all  the  children  of  Bethlehem  and 
its  confines ;  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  Egyptians,  as 
soon  as  they  have  heard  that  the  idols  have  been  broken,  will 
burn  us  with  fire."^ 

(2)  Then  Aphrodosius,*  the  governor  of  that  city,  when  news 
of  this  was  brought  to  him,  went  to  the  temple  with  all  his 
army.  And  the  priests  of  the  temple,  when  they  saw  Aphro- 
dosius  with  all  his  army  coming  into  the  temple,  thought 
that  he  was  making  haste  only  to  see  vengeance  taken  on 

^This   miracle,    which   has   al-  reference  to  this  passage,  just  at 

ready  in  one  form  been  given,  is  this  place. 

the  type  of  an  apocryphal  legend  ^This  was  the  usual  penalty  for 

that  is  from  now  on,  often  and  sacrilege  and  for  the  practice  of 

monotonously  repeated.    Its  plain  magic. 

N.  T.  source  is  Mat.  ix.20  seq.,  *The  name  is  also  given  in  va- 

and  xiv.36;  Mark  v.2S  seq.,  and  rious  Mss.  as  Affrodosius,  Aph- 

vi.56;  Luke  viii.43  seq.    A  sug-  rodisius,   Frodisius,   etc.     Petrus 

gestion    is    also    probably    taken  de  Natalibus  says  that  he  after- 

from  Acts  xix.12.     The  form  of  wards  became  bishop  of  Bourges 

the  boy's  possession  is  suggested  m  France.     The  name  Aphrodi- 

by  Mat.  viii.28,  and  Acts  xix.i6.  tianus  appears  in  the  prologue  to 

^Hos.  xi.i,  Mat.  ii.15.     I  can-  (9),  Vassiliev,  p.  yz- 
not   see   the   appropriateness   of 


JOHN  AND  ZACHARIAS  BAPTIZED  91 

those  on  whose  account  the  gods  had  fallen  down.  But  when 
he  came  into  the  temple,  and  saw  all  the  gods  lying  prostrate 
on  their  faces,  he  went  up  to  Mary,  who  was  carrying  the 
Lord  in  her  bosom,  and  adored  Him,  and  said  to  all  the  army 
and  all  his  friends,  "Unless  this  were  the  God  of  our  gods, 
our  gods  would  not  have  fallen  on  their  faces  before  Him ; 
nor  would  they  be  lying  prostrate  in  His  presence;  where- 
fore they  silently  confess  that  He  is  their  Lord.  Unless  we, 
therefore,  take  care  to  do  what  we  have  seen  our  gods  doing, 
we  may  run  the  risk  of  His  anger,  and  all  come  to  destruc- 
tion, even  as  it  happened  to  Pharaoh,  king  of  the  Egyptians, 
who,  not  believing  in  powers  so  mighty,  was  drowned  in  the 
sea  with  all  his  army."^  Then  all  the  people  of  that  same 
city  believed  in  the  Lord  God  through  Jesus  Christ. 

Now,  when  John  had  fulfilled  four  months  in  the  desert,  (28) 
the  Lord  came  out  of  Egypt  into  the  church  of  God,-  with 
the  archangel  Gabriel,  and  commanded  Uriel  to  bring  John 
by  night  out  of  the  mountain  into  the  church  of  God.  And 
of  the  unnumbered  host  there  came  the  four  strong  arch- 
angels, Michael  and  Gabriel,  Uriel  and  Raphael.  And  God^ 
was  in  the  midst,  and  the  body  of  Zacharias.  And  God 
breathed  into  it  a  living  soul  ;*  and  when  they  had  risen  up 
they  served  God.^  The  Saviour,  moreover,  spake,  and  there 
sprang  forth  and  remained  in  the  temple  of  God  an  immortal 
fountain  of  healing  for  the  saints.  And  he  baptized  in  it, 
first  John,  and  then  his  father  Zacharias.  And  the  angels 
answered,  "Amen."  And  again  they  cried  aloud,  and  said, 
"Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Father  and  God,  who  sitteth  upon 
the  throne  of  glory !  This  command  was  a  light^  from  the 
Father,  and  this  is  a  heavenly  baptismal  font !"     And  again 

*See  Ex.  xiv.27  seq.  that  up  to  this  time  all  had  been 

^The  temple  at  Jerusalem.  prostrate  in  the  divine  presence. 

'Christ  seems  here  to  be  meant,  "This  word  is  a  plain  indica- 

but  throughout  this  section  it  is  tion  of  the  Gnostic  origin  of  this 

difficult   to   tell   whether   He   or  document ;    many   other   circum- 

God  the  Father  is  indicated  by  stances  point  in  the  same  direc- 

the  use  of  the  divine  name.  tion.     The  baptism   of  John  by 

*Cf.  Gen.  ii.7.  Christ   is  perhaps   suggested  by 

"The  implication   seems  to  be  Mat.  iii.14. 


92  THE  FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT 

they  said,  "Amen."  And  the  Lord  commanded  Zacharias 
to  fall  asleep.  And  the  angels  enveloped  the  body  of  Zach- 
arias, and  buried  it  in  the  temple  of  God,  before  the  altar.^ 
Then  the  Lord  returned  with  Gabriel  to  Egypt,  and  John 
with  Uriel  to  Elisabeth  in  the  desert. 

Tor  the  manner  of  burial,  cf.       burial  before  the  altar  is  again 
in  chap.  XIV,  the  burial  of  Jo-      referred  to  in  chap.  XVI. 
seph,  and  notes  regarding  it.    The 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT. 

Miracle  of  the  Corn — The  Robbers  flee — Dismas  and 
Gestas — The  Demoniac  Woman — The  Dumb  Bride — 
The  Woman  tormented  by  Satan — The  Leprous 
Girl — The  Leprous  Son  of  the  Prince — The  af- 
flicted Bridegroom — The  enchanted  Youth — The 
Queen  in  Travail — The  hidden  Treasure — The 
House  of  Dahcan — The  Fish  animated — The  Spar- 
rows— The  Fountain  of  Matarea — The  Balm — 
Many  Miracles — The  Return  to  Judaea. 

Main  Sources:  (2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  25. 

(S) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  9. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  13-26. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  1-3. 
(28) — Account  of  the  Birth  of  John  and  Death  of 
Zacharias. 

Now  Jesus  was  two  years  old  when  he  went  into  Eg}'pt.  (10) 
And  going  out  from  the  city  on  a  certain  day,  he  walked 
through  a  field  of  corn ;  and  stretching  forth  his  hand  he 
took  of  the  ears.  And  having  returned  to  the  city,  he  put 
them  over  the  fire,  and  rubbed  them,  and  began  to  eat.  And 
he  gave  such  grace  to  that  field  that  each  year,  when  it  was 
sown,  it  yielded  as  many  measures  of  grain  to  its  owner  as  it 
had  received  grains  from  him.^ 

'This  last  sentence  is  found  in  ing  one.    The  first  part  of  the 

Codex  B,  of  (10).   The  story  with  paragraph  seems  to  be  a  reflec- 

this  addition  is  but  another  ver-  tion   of    Mat.    xii.i ;    Luke   vi.i ; 

sion  of  the  oft-repeated  legend;  Mark  ii.23.     Migne  reports  this 

see  last  chapter  and  the  follow-  legend,  II,  col.  378,  from  a  later 

(93) 


94  MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

(lo)  Now  going  out  from  hence,  the  Holy  Family  came  to  a 
place  where  there  were  robbers  who  had  plundered  several 
men  of  their  baggage  and  clothes,  and  had  bound  them. 
Then  the  robbers  heard  a  great  noise,  like  the  noise  of  a 
magnificent  king  going  out  of  his  city  with  his  army,  and 
his  chariots,  and  his  drums ;  and  at  this  the  robbers  were 
terrified,  and  left  all  their  plunder.  And  their  captives  rose 
up,  loosed  each  other's  bonds,  recovered  their  baggage,  and 
went  away.  And  when  they  saw  Joseph  and  Mary  coming 
up  to  the  place,  they  said  to  them,  "Where  is  that  king,  at 
the  hearing  of  the  magnificent  sound  of  whose  approach  the 
robbers  have  left  us,  so  that  we  have  escaped  safe  ?"  Joseph 
answered  them,  "He  will  come  behind  us."^ 
(8)  And  turning  away  from  this  place,  they  came  to  a  desert ; 
and  hearing  that  it  was  infested  by  robbers,  Joseph  and  the 
Lady  Mary  resolved  to  cross  this  region  by  night.  But  as 
they  go  along,  behold,  they  see  two  robbers  lying  in  the  way, 
and  along  with  them  a  great  number  of  robbers,  who  were 
their  associates,  sleeping.  Now  these  two  robbers,  into 
whose  hands  they  had   fallen,  were  Dismas  and  Gestas.^ 

source  which  tells   it  as  above,  'These  names  are  given  in  (8), 

with  the  addition  of  the  circum-  from    which    this    narrative    is 

stance  that  Christ  entered  a  field  taken,  as  Titus  and  Dumachus. 

that  was  nczvly  sown  with  corn.  I  have  used  the  above,  which  are 

He  commanded  it  to  become  ripe,  the  names  oftenest  found  in  apoc- 

which  immediately  took  place.  ryphal     literature     and     legend. 

'We   have   no    less    than    four  Other  forms  of  them  are,  Dimas, 

robber  legends  in  this  chapter,  all  Dysmas,    Dymas,    and    Demas ; 

having    many    points    of    corre-  and    Gesmas    or    Stegas.     Beda 

spondence.     I    take    the    special  gives  their  names  as  Matha  and 

point  in  this  one  to  be  the  un-  Joca,  and  Xaverius  in  his  Per- 

conscious  testimony  of  Joseph  to  sian   Life   of   Christ   as   Zjustin 

the  royal  dignity  of  Christ.   Such  and   Visimus.     They   are    called 

testimony  is  a  favourite  inspira-  by    the    Codex    Colbertinus,    see 

tion    for    apocryphal    tales.    Jo-  Resch,  p.  470,  Zoathan  and  Cham- 

seph's  answer,  that  a  great  king  matha.     This  is  the  first  case,  of 

was  coming  behind  them,  prob-  which    we    shall    have    several, 

ably  referred  to  Aphrodosius,  but  where  the  apocryphal  writers  in- 

the  author  would  intimate  that  troduce  in  the  story  of  Christ's 

it  had  a  truer  meaning  as  refer-  childhood,    legends    about    men 

ring  to  Christ.  whose  later  lives  are  connected 


DISMAS  AND  GESTAS  95 

And  when  Dismas,  who  was  the  son  of  the  chief  of  the  rob- 
bers, seeking  for  booty,  saw  the  child  in  his  mother's  lap, 
there  appeared  to  him  so  much  of  majesty  and  splendour  in 
his  most  beautiful  countenance,  that  not  doubting  him  to  be 
more  than  human,  and  kindling  with  love  towards  him,  he 
embraced  him.  And  he  said,  "O  most  blessed  of  children, 
if  at  any  time  again  my  miserable  person  shall  be  brought 
to  thy  notice,  then  remember  me,  and  forget  not  this  occa- 
sion."^ Dismas  therefore  said  to  Gestas,  "I  beseech  thee 
to  let  these  persons  go  freely,  and  so  that  our  comrades  may 
not  see  them."  And  as  Gestas  refused,  Dismas  said  to  him 
again,  "Take  to  thyself  forty  drachmas  from  me,  and  hold 
this  as  a  pledge."  At  the  same  time  he  held  out  to  him  the 
belt  which  he  had  about  his  waist,  to  keep  him  from  opening 
his  mouth  or  speaking.  And  the  Lady  Mary,  seeing  that 
the  robber  had  done  them  a  kindness,  said  to  him,  "The 
Lord  God  will  sustain  thee  by  His  right  hand,  and  will 
grant  thee  remission  of  thy  sins."  And  the  Lord  Jesus 
answered,  and  said  to  his  mother,  "Thirty  years  hence,  O 
my  mother,  the  Jews  will  crucify  me  at  Jerusalem,  and  these 
two  robbers  will  be  raised  upon  the  cross  along  with  me, 
Dismas  on  my  right  hand,  and  Gestas  on  my  left ;  and  after 
that  day  Dismas  shall  go  before  me  into  paradise."  And 
she  said,  "God  keep  this  from  thee,  my  son,"^  And  they 
went  thence  towards  a  city  of  idols,  which,  as  they  came 
near  it,  was  changed  into  sand-hills.^ 

Thereafter,  they  came  into  another  city,  where  there  was  a  (g) 
demoniac  woman  whom  Satan,  accursed  and  rebellious,  had 

with  His  in  the  Gospel  history.  the   text   of    (8),    from   Codice 

The    Bonus    Latro,    or    Penitent  Regularum,  Luc.  Holstenii,  quoted 

Thief,  is   commemorated  in  the  by  Hofmann  on  p.  178.   Without 

Roman  church,  on  Mar.  25 ;  in  some  such  explanation,  the  rob- 

the   Greek  church,  on   Mar.  23;  ber's  conduct  must  seem  hard  to 

and  in  the  Syriac  and  Mesopot-  understand. 

amian    churches,    on    the    ninth  ^Compare  Mat.  xvi.22. 

day  after  Good  Friday.     For  fur-  ^This  legend  seems  to  be  still 

ther  particulars  about  them,  see  another    faint    reflection    of   the 

chap.  XXII,  etc.  story  of  the  fall  of  the  idols  be- 

^This    portion,    from    the    last  fore  the  presence  of  Christ, 
reference,  I  have  interpolated  in 


96  MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

beset,  when  on  one  occasion  she  had  gone  out  by  night  for 
water.  She  could  neither  bear  clothes,  nor  live  in  a  house; 
and  as  often  as  they  tied  her  up  with  chains  and  thongs,  she 
broke  them,  and  fled  naked  into  waste  places ;  and,  standing 
in  crossroads  and  cemeteries,  she  kept  throwing  stones  at 
people,  and  brought  very  heavy  calamities  upon  her  friends. 
And  when  the  Lady  Mary  saw  her,  she  pitied  her ;  and  upon 
this  Satan  immediately  left  her,  and  fled  away  in  the  form  of 
a  young  man,  saying,  "Woe  to  me  from  thee,  Mary,  and 
from  thy  son."  So  that  woman  was  cured  of  her  torment, 
and  being  restored  to  her  senses,  she  blushed  on  account  of 
her  nakedness ;  and  shunning  the  sight  of  men,  went  home  to 
her  friends.  And  after  she  put  on  her  clothes,  she  gave  an 
account  of  the  matter  to  her  father  and  her  friends ;  and 
as  they  were  the  chief  men  of  the  city,  they  received  the 
Lady  Mary  and  Joseph  with  the  greatest  honour  and 
hospitality.^ 
(8)  On  the  day  after,  being  supplied  by  them  with  provision 
for  their  journey,  they  went  away,  and  on  the  evening  of 
that  day  arrived  at  another  town,  in  which  they  were  cele- 
brating a  marriage;  but  by  the  arts  of  accursed  Satan^  and 
the  work  of  enchanters,  the  bride  had  become  dumb,  and 
could  not  speak  a  word.  And  after  the  Lady  Mary  entered 
the  town,  carrying  her  son  the  Lord  Christ,  that  dumb  bride 
saw  her,  she  stretched  out  her  hands  towards  the  Lord 
Christ,  and  drew  him  to  her,  and  took  him  into  her  arms, 
and  held  him  close  and  kissed  him,  and  leaned  over  him, 
moving  his  body  back  and  forwards.  Immediately  the  knot 
of  her  tongue  was  loosened,  and  her  ears  were  opened  f  and 

^The  symptoms  in  this  case  of  is   charged   with  producing  this 

demoniacal    possession    seem    to  affliction. 

be   closely   imitated    from   those  ^Plainly    imitated    from    Mark 

given   in   Mark  v.2-5   and  Luke  vii.3S.     The    miracle    there    re- 

viii.27,  28.     Satan's  cry  on  being  corded  is  the  model  from  which 

driven  out  is  from  Mark  v.7  and  this   has   been   plagiarized.     AI- 

parallel  passages.    His  leaving  in  though    the    apocryphal     writer 

the  form  of  a  young  man  inti-  starts  to  tell  of  a  bride  who  was 

mates  lustful  persecution  of  the  dumb  only,  he  ends  by  imitating 

woman.  his  model  closely  enough  to  in- 

°In  Mat,  ix,32  and  xii.22,  Satan  elude  deafness. 


SATAN  DRIVEN  OUT  97 

she  gave  thanks  and  praise  to  God,  because  He  had  restored 
her  to  health.  And  that  night  the  inhabitants  of  that  town 
exulted  with  joy,  and  thought  that  God  and  His  angels  had 
come  down  to  them.^ 

'  There  they  remained  three  days,  being  in  great  honour,  (8) 
and  living  splendidly.  Thereafter,  being  supplied  by  them 
with  provision  for  their  journey,  they  went  away  and  came 
to  another  city,  in  which,  because  it  was  very  populous,  they 
thought  of  passing  the  night.  And  there  was  in  that  city 
an  excellent  woman ;  and  once,  when  she  had  gone  to  the 
river  to  bathe,  lo,  accursed  Satan,  in  the  form  of  a  serpent, 
had  leapt  upon  her,  and  twisted  himself  around  her  belly; 
and  as  often  as  night  came  on,  he  tyrannically  tormented 
her,-  This  woman,  seeing  the  mistress  Mary,  and  the  child, 
the  Lord  Christ,  in  her  bosom,  was  struck  with  a  longing  for 
him,  and  said  to  the  mistress,  the  Lady  Mary,  "O  mistress, 
give  me  this  child,  that  I  may  carry  him,  and  kiss  him." 
She  therefore  gave  him  to  the  woman ;  and  when  he  was 
brought  to  her,  Satan  let  her  go,  and  fled  and  left  her,  nor 
did  the  woman  ever  see  him  after  that  day.  Wherefore  all 
who  were  present  praised  God  Most  High,  and  that  same 
woman  bestowed  on  them  liberal  gifts. 

On  the  day  after,  the  same  woman  took  scented  water  to  (8) 
wash  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  after  she  had  washed  him,  she 
took  the  water  with  which  she  had  done  it,  and  poured  part 
of  it  upon  a  girl  who  was  living  there,  whose  body  was  white 
with  leprosy,  and  washed  her  with  it.  And  as  soon  as  this 
was  done,  the  girl  was  cleansed  from  her  leprosy.  And  the 
townspeople  said,  "There  is  no  doubt  that  Joseph  and  Mary 
and  that  boy  are  gods,  not  men,"  And  when  they  were 
getting  ready  to  go  away  from  them,  the  girl  who  had 
laboured  under  the  leprosy,  came  up  to  them,  and  asked  them 
to  let  her  go  with  them,^ 

^Possibly  there  is  use  here  of  ^Sike  and  Thilo  for  this  clause 
a  suggestion  taken  from  Acts  read:  Singulisque  noctibus  super 
xiv.ii.  The  child  and  Mary  and  ilia  se  cxtcndebat. 
their  party,  taken  for  God  and  ^This  is  the  first  of  a  large 
His  angels,  as  were  Barnabas  and  number  of  cures  of  leprosy  re- 
Paul  called  Jupiter  and  Mercury,  ported  by   (8),  which  seems  to 


98  MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

(8)  When  they  had  given  her  permission,  she  went  with  them. 
And  afterwards  they  came  to  a  city,  in  which  was  the  castle 
of  a  most  illustrious  prince,  who  kept  a  house  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  strangers.  They  turned  into  this  place ;  and  the 
girl  went  away  to  the  prince's  wife ;  and  she  found  her  weep- 
ing and  sorrowful,  and  she  asked  why  she  was  weeping. 
"Be  not  surprised,"  said  she,  "at  my  tears ;  for  I  am  over- 
whelmed by  a  great  affliction,  which  as  yet  I  have  not 
endured  to  tell  to  any  one."  "Perhaps,"  said  the  girl,  "if 
thou  reveal  it  and  disclose  it  to  me,  I  may  have  a  remedy  for 
it."  "Hide  this  secret,  then,"  replied  the  princess,  "and  tell 
it  to  no  one.  I  was  married  to  the  prince,  who  is  a  king, 
and  ruler  over  many  cities,  and  I  lived  long  with  him,  but 
by  me  he  had  no  son.  And  when  at  length  I  produced  him 
a  son,  he  was  leprous ;  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  him,  he  turned 
away  with  loathing,  and  said  to  me,  'Either  kill  him,  or  give 
him  to  the  nurse  to  be  brought  up  in  some  place  from  which 
we  shall  never  hear  of  him  more.  After  this  I  can  have 
nothing  to  do  with  thee,  and  I  will  never  see  thee  more.' 
On  this  account  I  know  not  what  to  do,  and  I  am  over- 
whelmed with  grief.     Alas !  my  son.     Alas !  my  husband." 

make  a  specialty  of  this  form  of  He    might    be    purified    by    the 

miracle.     It  is  the  white  leprosy  waters,    but    that     He    himself 

described  in  Lev.  xiii ;  and  I  sup-  might  sanctify  the  waters."    Au- 

pose  the  method  of  cure  by  bath-  gustine,  Ambrose,  TertuUian,  and 

ing    is    imitated    from    I    Kings  Gregory   of    Nazianzen   may   be 

v.io.     The    idea    that    water    in  quoted  to  the  same  effect,  as  well 

which   the   body   of   Christ   had  as   many  later  writers.     Out   of 

been  washed  acquired  cleansing  this  grew  the  belief,  widely  held 

power,  another  idea  that  we  shall  to  this  day,  that  the  waters  of 

find  oft  repeated  in  (8),  seems  to  Jordan  were  specially  sanctified 

connect  itself  with  certain  views  by  Christ's  baptism,  and  have  a 

of  baptism  that  were  held  in  the  peculiar  cleansing  power.     Even 

Church.     It  was  widely  held  that  Chrysostom  says  that  the  water 

the   waters   of  baptism   first  re-  which  was  drawn  from  it  on  the 

ceived     their     cleansing     power  night  of  the  day  on  which  Christ 

through  Christ's  baptism  in  Jor-  was  baptized  could  be  kept  two 

dan — literally  the  "washing  of  the  or  three  years  without  losing  its 

body."       So     Hofmann     quotes  mysterious    power.     See    further 

Maxim.,     Serm.     de     Epiphan.,  notes    on    Christ's    Baptism,    in 

"Christ   was   baptized,   not   that  chap.  XV. 


CHRIST  CURES  LEPROSY  99 

*'Did  I  not  say  so?"  said  the  girl.  "I  have  found  a  cure  for 
thy  disease,  and  I  shall  tell  it  thee.  For  I  too  was  a  leper; 
but  I  was  cleansed  by  God,  who  is  Jesus,  the  son  of  the  Lady 
Mary."  And  the  woman  asking  her  where  this  God  was 
whom  she  had  spoken  of,  "Here  with  thee,"  said  the  girl; 
"he  is  living  in  the  same  house,"  "But  how  is  this  possi- 
ble?" said  she.  "Where  is  he?"  "There,"  said  the  girl, 
"are  Joseph  and  Mary;  and  the  child  who  is  with  them  is 
called  Jesus ;  and  he  it  is  who  cured  me  of  my  disease  and 
my  torment."  "But  by  what  means,"  said  she,  "wast  thou 
cured  of  thy  leprosy  ?  Wilt  thou  not  tell  me  that  ?"  "Why 
not?"  said  the  girl.  "I  got  from  his  mother  the  water  in 
which  he  had  been  washed,  and  poured  it  over  myself;  and 
so  I  was  cleansed  from  my  leprosy."  Then  the  princess 
rose  up,  and  invited  them  to  avail  themselves  of  her  hospi- 
tality. And  she  prepared  a  splendid  banquet  for  Joseph  in 
a  great  assemblage  of  the  men  of  the  place.  And  on  the 
following  day  she  took  scented  water  with  which  to  wash 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thereafter  poured  the  same  water  over 
her  son,  whom  she  had  taken  with  her ;  and  immediately  her 
son  was  cleansed  from  his  leprosy.  Therefore,  singing 
thanks  and  praises  to  God,  she  said,  "Blessed  is  the  mother 
who  bare  thee,  O  Jesus ;  dost  thou  so  cleanse  those  who 
share  the  same  nature  with  thee  with  the  water  in  which 
thy  body  hath  been  washed?"^  Besides,  she  bestowed  great 
gifts  upon  the  mistress,  the  Lady  Mary,  and  sent  her  away 
with  great  honour. 

Coming  thereafter  to  another  city,  they  wished  to  spend  (8) 
the  night  in  it.  They  turned  aside,  therefore,  to  the  house 
of  a  man  newly  married,  but  who,  under  the  influence  of 
witchcraft,  was  not  able  to  enjoy  his  wife;  and  when  they 
had  spent  that  night  with  him,  his  bond  was  loosed.^  And 
at  daybreak,  when  they  were  girding  themselves  for  their 

^This   is   an   evident  reference  by    almost    every    race   of   men. 

to   baptism.     The    miracle    is    in  Hofmann,  p.  174,  gives  many  in- 

essence  but   a   repetition  of  the  teresting  illustrations  of  it.     See 

preceding  one.  also  Brunet,  Les  Evangiles  Apoc- 

"The  belief  in  this  kind  of  sor-  ryphes,   p.    lOl. 
eery  is  very  ancient,  and  is  held 


loo        MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

journey,  the  bridegroom  would  not  let  them  go,  and  pre- 
pared for  them  a  great  banquet. 
(8)  They  set  out,  therefore,  on  the  following  day ;  and  as  they 
came  near  another  city,  they  saw  three  women  weeping  as 
they  came  out  of  a  cemetery.  And  when  the  Lady  Mary 
beheld  them,  she  said  to  the  girl  who  accompanied  her, 
"Ask  them  what  is  the  matter  with  them,  or  what  calamity 
hath  befallen  them."  And  to  the  girl's  questions  they  made 
no  reply,  but  asked  in  their  turn,  "Whence  are  ye,  and 
whither  are  ye  going?  for  the  day  is  already  passed,  and 
night  Cometh  on  apace."  "We  are  travellers,"  said  the  girl, 
"and  are  seeking  a  house  of  entertainment  in  which  we  may 
pass  the  night."  They  said,  "Go  with  us,  and  spend  the 
night  with  us."  They  followed  them,  therefore,  and  were 
brought  into  a  new  house  with  splendid  decorations  and 
furniture.  Now  it  was  winter;  and  the  girl,  going  into  the 
chamber  of  these  women,  found  them  again  weeping  and 
lamenting.  There  stood  beside  them  a  mule,  covered  with 
housings  of  cloth  of  gold,  and  sesame  was  put  before  him ; 
and  the  women  were  kissing  him,  and  giving  him  food. 
And  the  girl  said,  "What  is  all  the  ado,  my  ladies,  about  this 
mule?"  They  answered  her  with  tears,  and  said,  "This 
mule,  which  thou  seest,  was  our  brother,  born  of  the  same 
mother  with  ourselves.  And  when  our  father  died,  and 
left  us  great  wealth,  and  this  only  brother,  we  did  our  best 
to  get  him  married,  and  were  preparing  his  nuptials  for  him, 
after  the  manner  of  men.  But  some  women,  moved  by 
mutual  jealousy,  bewitched  him  unknown  to  us;  and  one 
night,  a  little  before  daybreak,  when  the  door  of  our  house 
was  shut,  we  saw  that  this  our  brother  had  been  turned  into 
a  mule,  as  thou  now  beholdest  him.  And  we  are  sorrowful, 
as  thou  seest,  having  no  father  to  comfort  us ;  there  is  no 
wise  man,  or  magician,  or  enchanter  in  the  world  that  we 
have  omitted  to  send  for;  but  nothing  hath  done  us  any 
good.  And  as  often  as  our  hearts  are  overwhelmed  with 
grief,  we  rise  and  go  away  with  our  mother  here,  and  weep 
at  our  father's  grave,  and  come  back  again."^ 

^This  story  reminds  one  greatly      of  one  of  the  tales  from  the  Ara- 


THE  ENCHANTED  YOUTH  loi 

And  when  the  girl  heard  these  things,  "Be  of  good  cour-  (8) 
age,"  said  she,  ''and  weep  not ;  for  the  cure  of  your  calamity 
is  near ;  yea,  it  is  beside  you,  and  in  the  middle  of  your  own 
house.  For  I  also  was  a  leper ;  but  when  I  saw  that  woman, 
and  along  with  her  that  young  child,  whose  name  is  Jesus,  I 
sprinkled  my  body  with  the  water  with  which  his  mother 
had  washed  him,  and  I  was  cured.  And  I  know  that  he  can 
cure  your  affliction  also.  But  rise,  go  to  Mary  my  mistress ; 
bring  her  into  your  house,  and  tell  her  your  secret ;  and  en- 
treat and  supplicate  her  to  have  pity  upon  you."  After  the 
women  had  heard  the  girl's  words,  they  went  in  haste  to  the 
Lady  Mary,  and  brought  her  into  their  chamber,  and  sat 
down  before  her,  weeping,  and  saying,  "O  our  mistress, 
Lady  Mary,  have  pity  on  thy  handmaidens ;  for  no  one  older 
than  ourselves,  and  no  head  of  the  family  is  left — neither 
father  nor  brother — to  live  with  us;  but  this  mule  which 
thou  seest  was  our  brother,  and  women  have  made  him  such 
as  thou  seest  by  witchcraft.  We  beseech  thee,  therefore, 
to  have  pity  upon  us."  Then,  grieving  at  their  lot,  the  Lady 
Mary  took  up  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  put  him  on  the  mule's 
back ;  and  she  wept  as  well  as  the  women,  and  said  to  Jesus 
Christ,  "Alas !  my  son,  heal  this  mule  by  thy  mighty  power, 
and  make  him  a  man  endowed  with  reason  as  he  was  be- 
fore." And  when  these  words  were  uttered  by  the  Lady 
Alary,  his  form  was  changed,  and  the  mule  became  a  young 
man,  free  from  every  defect.  Then  he  and  his  mother  and 
his  sisters  adored  the  Lady  Mary,  and  lifted  the  boy  above 
their  heads,  and  began  to  kiss  him,  saying,  "Blessed  is  she 


bian  Nights.   There  may,  indeed,  Migne,  I,  col.  993,  n.  (2223).    It 

be  a  connection,  as  Egypt  is  cer-  seems  to  me  just  possible  that  the 

tainly   the    land    in    which   both  narrative    may    be    taken    some- 

these  collections  were  produced.  what    figuratively,    as   being   the 

I  need  not  illustrate  the  widely  story    of    a    youth,    who,    "be- 

disseminated   belief   of  mankind  witched"  by  the  fascinations  of 

in  the  possibility  of  such  meta-  women    into    the    likeness    of — 

morphoses   as  the  above,  lycan-  shall    I    say   an   "ass"?   was   re- 

thropy,  and  the  like.     I  refer  for  stored  to  his  right  mind,  and  set- 

this   to   Hofmann,   p.    175,   and  tied  down  to  married  life. 
II 


102        MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

that  bare  thee,  O  Jesus,  O  Saviour  of  the  world ;  blessed  are 
the  eyes  that  enjoy  the  felicity  of  seeing  thee."^ 

(8)  Moreover,  both  the  sisters  said  to  their  mother,  "Our 
brother  indeed,  by  the  aid  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by 
the  salutary  intervention  of  this  girl,  vv^ho  pointed  out  to  us 
Mary  and  her  son,  hath  been  raised  to  human  form.  Now, 
indeed,  since  our  brother  is  unmarried,  it  would  do  very 
well  for  us  to  give  him  as  his  wife  this  girl,  this  servant." 
And  having  asked  the  Lady  Mary,  and  obtained  her  con- 
sent, they  made  a  splendid  wedding  for  the  girl ;  and  their 
sorrow  being  turned  into  joy, and  the  beating  of  their  breasts 
into  dancing,  they  began  to  be  glad,  to  rejoice,  to  exult,  and 
sing — adorned,  on  account  of  their  great  joy,  in  most  splen- 
did and  gorgeous  attire.  Then  they  began  to  recite  songs 
and  praises,  and  to  say,  "O  Jesus,  son  of  David,  who  turnest 
sorrow  into  gladness  and  lamentations  into  joy!"  And 
Joseph  and  Mary  remained  there  ten  days.  Thereafter 
they  set  out,  treated  with  great  honours  by  these  people, 
who  bade  them  farewell,  and  from  bidding  them  farewell 
returned  weeping,  especially  the  girl. 

(n)  Now  when  Jesus  and  those  who  were  with  him  journeyed 
further,  they  came  into  a  city  where  was  a  king  to  whom  the 
citizens  had  assembled  themselves,  and  weeping,  prayed  to 
an  idol  which  v/as  set  up  before  them.  When  Jesus  now 
asked  them  what  was  the  matter,  they  answered,  that  the 
king's  wife  was  pregnant  and  travailed  in  hard  labour. 
But  Jesus  said,  "Go  to  the  king,  and  tell  him  that  if  I  shall 
lay  my  hand  upon  her  womb,  his  wife  will  very  quickly  be 
delivered."  When  this  had  been  told  the  king,  and  he  had 
commanded  that  they  should  bring  Jesus  to  him,  he  entered, 
and  went  to  the  woman,  and  said,  "O  king,  if  before  she  is 
delivered,  I  tell  thee  what  she  beareth  in  her  womb,  wilt 
thou  then  believe  upon  my  Lord,  who  hath  created  me  with- 
out a  father?"  And  when  the  king  agreed  to  this,  Jesus 
said,  "She  will,  then,  bear  a  beautiful  boy,  one  of  whose 
ears  will  be  longer  than  the  other,  upon  his  cheek  will  be 
seen  a  black  mark,  and  on  his  back  a  sign  of  the  same  colour." 

^Compare  Luke  xi.27  and  x.23. 


CHRIST  IN  DAHCAN'S  HOUSE  103 

Then  he  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  placing  it  upon  the 
body  of  the  woman,  said,  "Come  forth,  O  embryo,  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God  Most  High,  who  hath  made  all  things, 
and  giveth  nourishment  abundantly  to  all."  When,  now, 
the  woman  had  borne  a  boy  such  as  Jesus  had  described, 
and  the  king  was  willing  to  believe  on  God,  his  councillors 
declared  that  Jesus  was  a  sorcerer,  so  that  the  king  was 
frightened  out  of  accepting  the  faith.  Wherefore,  God  sent 
upon  them  a  terrible  thunderbolt  that  destroyed  them  before 
they  were  aware  of  it.^ 

Afterwards,  they  came  to  a  multitude  of  men  gathered  (n ) 
together,  to  whom  Jesus  said,  "Do  ye  wish  me  to  tell  you 
the  reason  that  ye  are  standing  here  ?"  And  when  they  said 
that  they  did,  he  replied,  "Your  design  is  to  enter  the  palace 
of  the  king,  and  carry  off  his  goods  ;  but  because  he  is  a  good 
man,  come,  follow  me,  that  I  may  show  you  a  treasure 
whose  owner  hath  long  been  dead."  They  followed  him, 
therefore,  and  came  to  a  certain  opening  in  the  earth;  and 
Jesus  said  to  them,  "Dig."  And  when  they  dug,  they  found 
a  great  sum  of  money  in  it,  and  divided  it  among  them- 
selves.^ 

Next,  journeying  until  they  entered  into  a  certain  region  (n  ■» 
of  Egypt,  Mary  turned  aside,  and  entered  into  the  house  of 
a  certain  man  called  Dahcan.  And  since  they  had  nothing 
to  live  upon,  Mary  spun  for  hire,  and  Joseph  went  out  to 
find  wood,  and  sold  that  which  he  had  gathered.  And  thus 
for  some  time  they  lived  there.^ 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  a  thief  entered  the  house  of  (n ) 
Dahcan,  and  carried  off  everything  that  was  therein.    Sadly, 
then,  Dahcan  said  to  Jesus,  "Show  me  who  it  is  that  hath 
taken   my   goods."     And   Jesus    replied,    "Call   thy   whole 

^I    take    this    paragraph    from  and  destroyed  them  all,  is  char- 

Kessaeus,  Evangelium  Infantiae,  acteristic  of  such  Mohammedan 

ti-  P-  (31)-     It  seems  to  be  there  tales. 

introduced  as  an  incident  of  the  'From    Kessaeus,    Evangelium 

journey  to  Egypt.     The  likeness  Infantiae,  n.  p.  (29). 

to    the    Arabian    Nights    is    also  Trom    Kessaeus,    Evangelium 

strong   here.     Its    finale,    that    a  Infantiae,  n.  p.   (33). 
thunderbolt    came    from   heaven 


104        MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

family  together  before  me."  Now  when  he  had  done  this, 
Jesus  said,  "Where  is  such  and  such  a  bHnd  man,  and  such 
and  such  a  lame  one  ?"  When,  now,  these  had  been  brought 
to  him,  Jesus  said,  "These  two  are  the  thieves  who  have 
carried  off  all  thy  goods."  When,  now,  the  people  were 
much  astonished  at  this,  Jesus  said  to  them,  "The  lame  man 
was  assisted  by  the  strength  of  the  blind  man,  and  the  blind 
man  by  the  eyesight  of  the  lame  one.  For  the  lame  man 
held  a  cord  in  the  window  whilst  the  blind  one  laid  hands 
on  each  article,  and  brought  it  to  him."^ 
(lo)  And  again  they  found  a  lodging  in  the  house  of  a  certain 
(28)  widow,  and  remained  in  the  same  place  one  year.  Now 
Jesus  was  three  years  old,^  and  when  he  saw  the  boys  play- 
ing, he  began  to  play  with  them.  And  he  took  a  dried  fish,^ 
and  put  it  into  a  basin,  and  ordered  it  to  move  about.  And 
he  said  again  to  the  fish,  "Throw  out  thy  salt  which  thou 
hast,  and  walk  into  the  water."  And  it  so  came  to  pass. 
And  the  neighbours,  seeing  what  had  been  done,  told  it  to  the 
widow  woman  in  whose  house  Mary  his  mother  lived.  And 
as  soon  as  she  heard  it,  she  thrust  them  out  of  her  house  with 
great  haste.  Also  they  remained  twelve  months  in  the  house 
of  Alphaeus,  a  man  of  God. 
(10)      And  as  Jesus  was  walking  with  Mary  his  mother  through 

Trom    Kessaeus,    Evangelium  of  the  Virgin  of  Golgotha,  says 

Infantiae,  n.  p.   (42).     A  similar  that   Christ  nursed  three  years, 

fable  is  told  by  Pocokius,  in  the  so  that  this  time,  according  to 

notes  to  Ad  Portam  Mosis,  pp.  these       veracious        documents, 

280,   281.     God   will   ask  men   a  would  be  the  period  at  which  He 

question  similar  to  the  above  on  was  weaned, 

the  last  day,  when  the  body  will  *Codex  B.  of  (10),  in  place  of 

blame  all  the  guilt  on  the  soul,  this,  says  that,  "Jesus  was  walk- 

and  the  soul  on  the  body.  ing  by  the  sea  shore  and  seeing 

"This     age,     given     in     (10),  a  dead  sea  fish  which  was  dry, 

which     is     also     the     document  he  took  it  and  put  it  in  a  basin," 

which  states  that  Christ  was  two  etc.     These    two    forms    of    the 

years    old    when    he    came    into  legend  intermingled  explain  the 

Egypt,  would  seem  to  show  that  confusion   in  the  above  account 

the  Holy  Family  had  been  there  between  a  dried  fish  and  a  salt 

just  a  year  when  this  event  oc-  one. 
curred.     The   Ethiopian    Prayer 


CHRIST  AND  THE  SPARROWS  105 

the  middle  of  the  city  market-place,  he  looked  and  saw  a 
schoolmaster  teaching  his  scholars.  And,  behold,  twelve^ 
sparrows  that  were  quarrelling  fell  over  the  wall  into  the 
bosom  of  that  schoolmaster,  who  was  teaching  his  boys. 
And  seeing  this,  Jesus  was  very  much  amused,  and  stood 
still.  And  when  that  teacher  saw  him  making  merry,  he 
said  to  his  scholars  with  great  fury,  "Go  and  bring  him  to 
me."  And  when  they  had  carried  him  to  the  master,  he 
seized  him  by  the  ear,  and  said,  "What  didst  thou  see,  to 
amuse  thee  so  much?"  And  he  said  to  him,  "Master,  see 
my  hand  full  of  wheat.  I  showed  it  to  them,  and  scattered 
the  wheat  among  them,  and  they  carry  it  out  of  the  middle  of 
the  street  where  they  are  in  danger ;  and  on  this  account 
they  fought  among  themselves  to  divide  the  wheat."  And 
Jesus  did  not  pass  from  the  place  until  it  was  accomplished.^ 
And  this  being  done,  the  master  began  to  thrust  him  out  of 
the  city,  along  with  his  mother. 

And  hence  they  turned  aside  to  HeliopoHs,  and  came  to  (8) 
that  sycamore  of  an  extreme  old  age,  which  is  now  called 
Matarea."*  And  it  was  that  tree  which,  when  Mary  and  the 
child  were  pursued  by  robbers,  opened  to  receive  them,  and 
then  closed  up  until  the  robbers  had  passed.  And  here 
Christ  made  a  fountain  miraculously  appear  of  a  sudden  to 
quench  the  thirst  from  which   Mary  suffered.     Now  the 

^Some     Mss.     of     (10)     have  is     supposed    to    refer    to    the 

"seven."  abundance    of    its    waters.     The 

*This    anecdote    seems    to    be  author  of  (8)  gives  the  name  to 

wanting    in    point,   as    it    stands  the   famous  tree  itself.     A  tree 

above.    I  suppose  it  means  that  which  is  said  to  have  shehered 

Jesus  did  not  pass  from  the  place  the  Holy  Family  is  still  shown 

until    the    division    among    the  there.    The   legend   regarding  it 

sparrows  had  been  accomplished.  in     the     following     sentence     is 

It  might  also  be  read  to  mean  found  in  Thevenot's  Itin.  Orient, 

that  Jesus  did  not  go  away  until  xi.8;  Tischendorf  Travels,  p.  141, 

what    the    schoolmaster    taught  and  others.     It  is  said  that  the 

had  been  finished.  opening  in  the  trunk  by  which 

'Matarea     lies     a     few     miles  they    emerged    was    to    be    seen 

northeast  of  Cairo,  and  is  sup-  until    1656,    when    a    great    part 

posed  to  be  the  site  of  the  an-  of  the  tree  broke  off. 
cient  HellopoHs,  or  On ;  its  name 


io6        MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 

waters  of  the  fountain  of  Heliopolis  had  always  been  salt 
until  the  arrival  of  the  Holy  Family,  when  it  became  a 
source  of  sweet  water,  and  all  the  sick  who  drank  of  this 
miraculous  water  were  cured/  But  some  say  that  when 
Mary,  exhausted  by  her  long  journey,  sat  down  under  a 
palm  tree  there,  and  took  Jesus  upon  her  lap,  she  stuck  her 
finger  into  the  earth,  and  out  of  the  hole  there  welled  forth 
fresh,  clear  water.- 

(8)  Now  in  this  spring,  which  since  that  time  gushed  forth, 
Mary  washed  her  child's  clothes,  and  dried  them  upon  stones. 
But  from  the  sweat  of  the  child,  which  was  by  this  means 
mixed  with  the  water,  there  went  forth  such  blessing,  that 
in  the  parts  watered  by  it  there  grew  by  far  the  best  balsam 
in  the  world.^  And  when  the  inhabitants  of  this  country 
wished  to  enlarge  their  gardens,  and  planted  many  balm 
trees  in  them,  the  trees  produced  no  fruit.  Then  they  be- 
thought themselves,  that  if  the  water  in  which  the  majesty  of 
Jesus  and  his  clothing  had  been  washed  should  touch  their 
trees,  they  might  bear  fruit.  So  they  led  the  stream  from 
the  fountain  of  Christ  through  the  whole  garden.  And  so  it 
was,  that  every  part  which  was  watered  by  this  stream  pro- 
duced the  choicest  balm.* 

(8)  Thence  the  Holy  Family  came  down  to  Memphis,, 
and      saw      Pharaoh,^      and         remained    three    years    in 

^This   legend   is   told   in   Wil-  Persian  Life  of  Christ,  p.  102. 
kinson's     Modern     Egypt     and  °A     grave     anachronism,     of 

Thebes,  I,  296,  and  in  the  Travels  course,  as  Egypt  was  then  under 

of  Clarke  and  Sandys.     See  Ex.  Roman  rule.    According  to  some 

xv.25  and  II  Kings  ii.21.  versions   of    (5),   Memphis   was 

Trom     Sepp,     Symbolik    zum  the    principal    residence    of    the 

Leben  Christi,  p.  147.  Holy   Family   during   their   stay 

^This  expansion  of  the  briefer  in    Egypt.     Adrichomius    agrees 

version  of  this  miracle  found  in  with  this  view,  but  says  Mem- 

(8),    is    given    by    Borchardus,  phis  was  identical  with  Cairo,  or 

Tostatus,  and  Jansenius.     It    is  Babylon.     Tostatus      says      they 

said    that    the   balm   trees    were  dwelt  at  Heliopolis  and  Babylon,, 

really  transplanted  from  Judaea  which     latter     was     an     alleged 

to  Egypt  by  Cleopatra.  Egyptian    city    built    by    Cam- 

^This  further  expansion  of  the  byses.     Thomas    of    Aquin    and 

story  is  given  by  Xaverius  in  his  Bonaventure    favour   Heliopolis^ 


MANY  MIRACLES  PERFORMED 


107 


Egypt.^  And  the  Lord  Jesus  did  in  Egypt  very  many  mira- 
cles which  are  recorded  neither  in  the  Gospel  of  the  Infancy 
nor  in  the  perfect  Gospel.^  For  he  once  planted  the  three 
staves  belonging  to  a  shepherd  and  his  two  sons,  in  the  earth, 
and  immediately  they  became  three  trees  covered  with  bloom 
and  fruits.  These  trees  still  stood  in  the  time  of  Cyriacus.^ 
And  on  one  day,  the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  the  Lord  Christ 
stuck  a  dry  staff  in  the  earth,  and  immediately  there  grew 
from  it  an  olive  tree  which  yet  thrives  in  Buk,  not  far  from 
Moharrak.*  He  was  accustomed  to  make  little  birds,  upon 
which  he  blew  and  threw  them  into  the  air,  and  they  flew 
away.^  And  every  day  an  angel  descended  from  heaven,  who 
brought  him  food  to  eat.° 

And  at  the  end  of  the  three  years  an  angel  of  the  Lord 


and  Jansenius,  Matarea.  Barra- 
dius  says  they  chiefly  stayed 
near  Heliopolis,  because  Jacob 
and  his  sons  had  also  dwelt 
there,  and  because  it  was  fitting 
that  Christ  should  dwell  in  the 
City  of  the  Sun  (i.  e.  Heliopo- 
lis.) 

^This  period  is  assigned  by 
(8),  and  is  supported  by  Nice- 
phorus  and  Christian  Druthmar. 
Although  not  elsewhere  support- 
ed by  apocryphal  literature,  it 
seems  best  to  accord  with  the 
facts,  if  they  may  be  so  called, 
of  that  literature.  (5)  says  the 
stay  was  one  year;  Epiphanius 
says  two  years ;  Lucidus,  five ; 
Adrichomius,  six;  most  legends, 
and  indeed  most  Church  writers, 
declare  for  a  seven  years'  stay 
in  Egypt. 

"The  Gospel  of  Thomas,  the 
various  forms  of  which  I  refer  to 
under  the  designations  of  (10), 
etc.,  are  doubtless  what  the  com- 
piler of  (8)  here  means  by  the 
Gospel  of  the  Infancy ;  of  course, 


he  means  the  canonical  four  by 
his  reference  to  the  "perfect  Gos- 
pel." The  latter  title  indicates 
how  far  from  his  mind  was  the 
idea  of  placing  these  apocryphal 
compilations  on  a  level  with  the 
four.  I  should  perhaps  refer  for 
the  inspiration  of  this  sentence 
to  John  xxi.25. 

'From  a  discourse  of  Cyriacus. 
See  Hofmann,  p.  184. 

*From  Wansleben,  Collection 
of  Remarkable  Travels,  III,  p, 
79.  He  says  this  event  was  com- 
memorated by  the  Abyssinian 
church  on  the  above  date,  May 
25- 

'This  is  a  Coptic  tradition  re- 
ported by  Thevenot  in  his  Ori- 
ental Travels.  It  will  be  read- 
ily recognized  as  a  reflection  of 
the  oft-repeated  miracle,  the  typ- 
ical form  of  which  is  found  in 
chap.  IX  seq. 

"From  the  same  source  is  like- 
wise a  Coptic  form  of  a  legend 
that  has  already  been  told  re- 
garding Mary,  chap.  II,  etc. 


(2) 

(5) 

(8) 

(10) 

(28) 


io8 


MIRACLES  PERFORMED  IN  EGYPT 


met  Mary  and  Joseph/  and  said  to  them,  "Take  the  child, 
and  return  into  the  land  of  the  Jews,  for  they  are  dead  who 
sought  the  child's  life.  And  they  came  back  out  of  Egypt, 
and  returned." 


'As  opposed  to  Mat.  ii.19, 
which  says  that  the  angel  ap- 
peared in  a  dream  to  Joseph, 
(10)  says  he  appeared  to  Mary 
only,  and  Codex  B.  states  that 
he  appeared  to  both  of  them. 
The  Mohammedan  account,  as 
given  by   Kessaeus,   Sike,  n.  p. 


(44),  is  that  Zacharias  sent  to 
Mary,  telHng  her  that  the  king 
of  Israel  was  dead,  and  com- 
manding her  to  return. 

°I  find  no  legends  elaborating 
the  story  of  their  return,  save  a 
brief  one  in  regard  to  Dismas, 
which  is  noted  in  chap.  XXVII. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

.WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD  OF  CHRIST 

Herod's  Death — Christ  in  the  Desert — The  Child 
John — Christ  returns  to  Nazareth — Joseph's  Car- 
penter Work — Wood  miraculously  lengthened — 
Throne  lengthened  —  Beam  lengthened  —  Boys 
changed  to  Kids — The  Dyer — Christ  works  as  a 
Dyer — Water  carried  miraculously — Fire  likewise 
— Miraculous  Harvest — Live  Animals  made  of  Clay 
— The  Lions'  Den — Jordan  miraculously  divided. 

Main  Sources:  (i) — Protevangelium  of  James,  24. 

(2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  33-37. 
(S) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  g. 
(7) — Protevangelium  of  James,  Syriac  Version,  24. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  26,  36-40,  45. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  3,  9-11. 
(11) — Narrative   regarding  the   Beheading  of  John 

the  Baptist. 
(12) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  First  Greek  Form,  11-13. 
(13) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Second  Greek  Form,  10,  11. 
(14) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form,  9-11. 
(28) — Account  of  the  Birth  of  John  and  Death  of 
Zacharias. 

Now  Herod  had  died  by  the  worst  form  of  death,^  aton-  /jn 

ing  for  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  the  children  whom  he  (5) 

(7) 
^The  terrible  disease  from  speak  of  this  evidently  righteous  ^°) 
which  Herod  the  Great  suffered  retribution ;  and  this  account  has 
and  his  death  are  described  by  formed  the  basis  of  apocryphal 
Josephus,  Antiquities,  XVII,  6,  legends  as  to  the  manner  of 
8,  and  Wars  of  the  Jews,  I,  33.  death  of  Herod  Antipas.  See 
Many    of    the    Church    fathers      chap.  XXXVII. 

(109) 


no    WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 

wickedly  cut  off,  though  there  was  no  sin  in  them.  But 
when  Joseph  and  the  child  had  arrived  at  Judaea,  hearing 
that  that  impious  tyrant  was  dead,  and  that  Archelaus,  his 
son,  had  succeeded  him,  he  was  afraid,  indeed,  to  enter  it. 
And  he  kept  the  child  in  the  desert  until  there  should  be 
quietness  in  Jerusalem  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  seek- 
ing his  life.  And  he  gave  thanks  to  God  because  He  had 
given  him  understanding,  and  because  he  had  found  favour 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  God.  At  the  same  time,  James, 
the  Lord's  brother,  withdrew  to  the  wilderness,  until  the 
commotion  which  had  arisen  in  Jerusalem  when  Herod  died, 
had  ceased.^  And  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  Joseph, 
and  said,  ''O  Joseph,  go  into  the  city  of  Nazareth,  and  there 
abide." 
(ii)  Now  when  the  child  John  had  become  five  months  old,^ 
(28)  ti-,e  angel  said  to  Elisabeth,  "Wean  the  child,  and  no  longer 
let  him  receive  the  mother's  breast;  but  take  locusts  from 
the  tree  which  is  before  the  dwelling-place,  and  wild  honey 
upon  a  palm  branch  from  the  rock  that  is  at  thy  hand,^  and 
let  him  be  nourished  with  these ;  they  will  not  fail  until  God 
commandeth  thee  to  come  out  hence."  For  there  was  a 
beautiful  palm  tree  growing  over  the  chasm,  and  at  the 
hour  when  John  was  accustomed  to  eat,  it  bowed  itself 
down  to  him.*  And  when  the  child  was  thirteen  months  old, 
he  began  to  creep  about  and  walk.  Then  the  angel  said  to 
Elisabeth,  "Come  out  from  the  place,  and  go  to  thy  house; 

^(i)    claims  this  James  as  its  sages.     The   author  thinks   it  a 

author,  which  claim  is  made  in  neat    introduction,    here,    of   the 

close  connection  with  the  above  locusts    and    wild    honey    thus 

statement.  early. 

^The  chronology  of  (11)  is,  of  *This  would  seem  to  indicate 

course,  badly  at  fault  here.  This  that   a   vegetable   of   some  kind 

%vould     represent     a     time     one  called  honey  was  intended.    (28) 

month  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  here  goes   on  to   speak  of  both 

whilst  it  is  intended  to  represent  honey  and  water  being  used  in 

the  time  when  mother  and  child  baptism.     The  Gnostic  origin  of 

were  hidden  from  Herod  in  the  this,  as  shown  particularly  in  the 

mountain.    But   I  give  the  pas-  introduction  of  the  palm  branch, 

sage  as  it  stands.  is  evident. 

^Mat.    iii.4   and   parallel   pas- 


THE  RETURN  TO  NAZARETH  iii 

for  the  souls  of  those  seeking  to  destroy  the  child  are  dead." 
But  Elisabeth  said,  'T  cannot  find  the  way,  and  where  can  I 
go  forth?"  And  immediately,  having  taken  the  child  upon 
her  knees,  she  was  in  a  trance  until  she  arrived  through  the 
air  at  her  home. 

And  after  John  was  given  into  the  hands  of  the  archangel  (28) 
Uriel,  he  was,  when  five  years  old,  clothed  in  a  garment  of 
camel's  hair,  and  had  a  leathern  girdle  about  his  loins.  Nor, 
besides  this,  did  he  wear  any  luxurious  garment.  And  as 
he  increased  in  size  in  growing,  it  remained  without  rent, 
even  as  the  Lord  also  had  a  garment  woven  from  top  to 
bottom  and  not  sewed.  And  when  John  was  twelve  years 
old  he  was  discovered  by  Archelaus,  and  fled  into  a  city  of 
Galilee.^ 

But  Joseph,  ]\Iary,  and  the  child  Jesus  returned,  and  lived  (s) 
in  Nazareth.     And  Joseph,  going  back  to  his  trade  of  a  car- 
penter, earned  his  living  by  the  work  of  his  hands ;  for,  as 
the  law  of  Moses  had  commanded,  he  never  sought  to  live 
for  nothing  by  another's  labour.^ 

Now  it  came  to  pass   that  a   certain   rich   young  man  (2) 
ordered  Joseph,  who  at  that  time  used  to  make  nothing  else  V°^ 
of  wood  but  ox-yokes,  and  plows,  and  instruments  of  hus-  (13) 
bandry,  and  wooden  beds,  to  make  him  a  couch  six  cubits  ^^4) 
long,  and  both  useful  and  beautiful.^     And  he  went  out  into 
the  field  with  his  servant  to  get  wood ;  and  Jesus  went  with 
him.     And  having  cut  two  pieces  of  wood,  and  smoothed 

^The  inspiration  of  this  legend  which  I  have  used,  as  well  as  in 

is,   of  course,   Mat.   iii.4;    Mark  the    various    readings    of    each. 

i.6.    The   similar  legend  regard-  This  is  the  most  primitive  form 

ing    Christ's     seamless    robe    is  of  the   legend,  of  which  I  give 

mentioned  in  chap.  XXVI,  and  several   derived   versions.     It   is 

regarding  Mary's,  in  chap.  II.  easy   to    see   how,    it   being   as- 

"See  Gen.  iii.19;  II  Thes.  iii. 10.  sumed  that  Jesus  was  a  carpen- 

^One    Ms.    of    (2)    tells    this  ter,  such  a  legend  should  be  in- 

story,  not  of  Joseph,  but  of  a  cer-  vented,    being    possibly    further 

tain  builder,  a  worker  in  wood.  suggested  by  His  words  in  Mat. 

A  wonderful  number  of  varying  vi.27  and  Luke  xii.2S,  about  add- 

details  are  given  in  the  account  ing  one  cubit  to  the  stature  by 

as  related  by   (2)   and  the  four  taking  thought, 
forms    of    the    Thomas    Gospel 


112    WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 

them  with  the  axe,  he  commanded  his  servant  to  cut  the 
wood  with  an  iron  saw,  according  to  the  measure  which  he 
had  sent.  And  he  did  not  keep  to  the  prescribed  measure, 
but  made  one  piece  of  wood  shorter  than  the  other.  Then 
Joseph  put  the  one  beside  the  other;  and  in  measuring,  he 
found  it  too  short.  And  when  he  saw  this,  he  was  grieved, 
and  sought  to  find  another  piece.  And  seeing  this,  Jesus 
said  to  him,  "Put  these  two  pieces  together,  so  as  to  make 
both  ends  even."  And  Joseph,  in  doubt  as  to  what  the  child 
should  mean,  did  as  he  was  told.  And  Jesus  said  to  him 
again,  "Take  a  firm  hold  of  the  short  piece."  And  Joseph 
in  astonishment  took  hold  of  it.  Then  Jesus  also,  taking 
hold  of  the  other  end,  drew  it  towards  himself,  and  made  it 
equal  to  the  other  piece  of  wood.  And  he  said  to  Joseph, 
"Grieve  no  more,  but  go  and  work,  and  do  what  thou  hast 
promised  to  do."  And  Joseph  did  what  he  promised.  And 
seeing  this,  he  wondered  greatly,  and  said  to  himself, 
"Blessed  am  I,  because  God  hath  given  me  such  a  boy." 
And  when  they  came  back  to  the  city,  Joseph  gave  an  ac- 
count of  the  matter  to  Mary.  And  when  she  heard  and  saw 
the  strange  miracles  of  her  son,  she  rejoiced  and  glorified 
him. 
(8)  And  Joseph  used  to  go  about  through  the  whole  city,  and 
take  the  Lord  Jesus  with  him,  when  people  sent  for  him  in 
the  way  of  his  trade  to  make  for  them  doors,  and  milk-pails, 
and  beds,  and  chests ;  and  the  Lord  Jesus  was  with  him 
wherever  he  went.  As  often,  therefore,  as  Joseph  had  to 
make  anything  a  cubit  or  a  span  longer  or  shorter,  wider  or 
narrower,  the  Lord  Jesus  stretched  his  hands  towards  it; 
and  as  soon  as  he  did  so,  it  became  such  as  Joseph  wished. 
Nor  was  it  necessary  for  him  to  make  anything  with  his 
own  hand,  for  Joseph  was  not  very  skilful  in  carpentry.^ 
And  Christ  wrought  as  a  carpenter,  making  ploughs  and 
yokes  whilst  he  was  among  men.^ 

*The     contrary     statement     is  Trypho,  chap.  LXXXVIII.  As  an 

made  by  other  documents.  instance  of  how  the  Church  fath- 

^This    sentence    is    spoken    by  ers    spoke   of   Christ   as   having 

Justin    Martyr,    Dialogue    with  been  a  carpenter,  see  Sozomen, 


THE  THRONE  LENGTHENED  113 

Now  on  a  certain  day  the  king  of  Jerusalem  sent  for  (8) 
Joseph,  and  said,  'T  wish  thee  to  make  for  me  a  throne  to 
fit  that  place  in  which  T  usually  sit."^  Joseph  obeyed,  and 
began  the  work  immediately,  and  remained  in  the  palace 
two  years,  until  he  finished  the  work  of  that  throne.  And 
when  he  had  it  carried  to  its  place,  he  perceived  that  each 
side  wanted  two  spans  of  the  prescribed  measure.  And  the 
king,  seeing  this,  was  angry  with  Joseph ;  and  Joseph,  being 
in  great  fear  of  the  king,  spent  the  night  without  supper,  nor 
did  he  taste  anything  at  all.  Then,  being  asked  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  why  he  was  afraid,  Joseph  said,  "Because  I  have 
spoiled  all  the  work  that  I  have  been  two  years  at."  And 
the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Fear  not,  and  do  not  lose  heart ; 
but  do  thou  take  hold  of  one  side  of  the  throne ;  I  shall  take 
the  other ;  and  we  shall  put  that  to  rights."  And  Joseph  hav- 
ing done  as  the  Lord  Jesus  had  said,  and  each  having  drawn 
by  his  own  side,  the  throne  was  put  to  rights,  and  brought 
to  the  exact  measure  of  the  place.  And  those  that  stood  by 
and  saw  the  miracle  were  struck  with  astonishment,  and 
praised  God.  And  the  woods  used  in  that  throne  were  of 
those  which  are  celebrated  in  the  time  of  Solomon,  the  son 
of  David,  that  is,  woods  of  many  and  various  kinds.^ 

Now  the  good  old  man  Joseph  was  scarcely  able  to  work,  (n ) 
for  old  age.  And  inasmuch  as  he  had  undertaken  to  build  a 
house,  he  went  to  work,  and  bought  a  large  piece  of  timber 
to  use  in  the  building.  Now  it  came  to  pass  that  when 
Joseph  worked  with  this  beam,  he  cut  it  off  so  that  it  was 
too  short.  Then  he  was  very  sorry,  and  greatly  troubled 
and  depressed;   for  he   did  not  have  any   money  to  buy 

Ecclesiastical  History,  VI,  chap.  legend.   It  is  adapted,  as  is  char- 

2.    All  this  apparently  founds  it-  acteristic    of    that    writer,    with 

self  on  Mark  vi.3,  but  the  read-  little    skill   or   taste.     A   throne 

ing    there    is    at    least    open    to  was  adopted  as  the  object  of  the 

doubt.  miracle,    instead    of    a    bed,    be- 

*An    anachronism,    of    course,  cause  that  seemed  better  to  ac- 

as   only   the    Roman   procurator  cord   with  the   royal   dignity  of 

then  resided  and  ruled  in  Jerusa-  Christ, 

lem.    This  is  the  version  which  "I  Kings  x.II,  12]  ix.li. 
(8)     gives     of     the     foregoing 


114    WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 

another  one.  And  when  the  child  Jesus,  who  was  gather- 
ing sticks  and  bark  near-by,  saw  Joseph  so  troubled,  he  said 
to  him,  speaking  like  a  child,  "Be  not  troubled,  my  father, 
for  we  can  easily  make  it  longer."  "Thou  speakest  as  a 
child,"  said  Joseph,  letting  his  head  fall  like  an  old  man. 
Thereupon  the  Saviour  said,  "My  father,  do  thou  pull  at 
that  end  and  I  at  this  end,  and  thou  shalt  see  how  I  will  help 
thee."  "But,  my  child,  thou  art  too  young  to  help  me," 
said  Joseph,  "thou  hast  not  yet  eaten  enough  bread ;  there  is 
no  way  of  helping  me  here ;  there  is  no  remedy  for  it  but  to 
buy  another  beam."  But  finally  the  child  brought  it  to  pass 
that  Joseph  pulled  one  end  of  the  beam  and  he  the  other; 
and  they  so  lengthened  it  that  when  Joseph  came  to  measure 
it,  he  found  it  so  very  long  that  he  had  to  cut  more  than  an 
ell  of  it  oif.i 
(8)  On  another  day,  the  Lord  Jesus  went  out  into  the  road, 
and  saw  the  boys  that  had  come  together  to  play,  and  fol- 
lowed them ;  but  the  boys  hid  themselves  from  him.  The 
Lord  Jesus,  therefore,  having  come  to  the  door  of  a  certain 
house,  and  seen  some  women  standing  there,  asked  them 
where  the  boys  had  gone;  and  when  they  answered  that 
there  was  no  one  there,  he  said  again,  "Who  are  these  whom 
ye  see  in  the  furnace?"  They  replied  that  they  were  kids 
of  three  years  old.  And  the  Lord  Jesus  cried  out,  and  said, 
"Come  out  hither,  O  kids,  to  your  shepherd."  Then  the 
boys,  in  the  form  of  kids,  came  out,  and  began  to  dance 
round  him ;  and  the  women  seeing  this,  were  very  much 

'This     legend     is     given     by  though  that  circumstance  is  not 

IMigne,  II,  379.   It  is  from  a  rare  mentioned  in  any  other  versions 

little   book,    Enfance    de    Notre-  of  the  above   legend.    Hofmann 

Seigneur,  which  appeared  in  di-  also  gives,  p.  249,  a  version  of 

vers  forms  towards  the  end  of  the  above  legend  current  in  Per- 

the  fifteenth  century,  and  repre-  sia,  Chardin,  Travels  in  Persia : 

sents  mediaeval  working  over  of  "Jesus     Christ,     seeing     Joseph 

the  Apocryphal  Gospels.   I  think  greatly  troubled  because  he  had 

this    version    of    the    foregoing  sawed    a    cedar    board    oflf    too 

legend  is  of  sufficient  interest  to  short,  said  to  him,  'Why  art  thou 

be     given.       The     reference     to  troubled?  give  me  one  end  of  the 

Joseph's    extreme    old    age    ac-  board,  and  do  thou  pull  the  other 

cords    perfectly    with     (8),    al-  end,  and  it  will  be  lengthened.'" 


THE  DYER'S  SHOP  115 

astonished,  and  were  seized  with  trembling,  and  speedily 
supplicated  and  adored  the  Lord  Jesus,  saying,  "O  our  Lord 
Jesus,  son  of  Mary,  thou  art  of  a  truth  that  good  shepherd 
of  Israel ;  have  mercy  on  thy  handmaidens  who  stand  before 
thee,  and  who  have  never  doubted ;  for  thou  hast  come,  O 
our  Lord,  to  heal,  and  not  to  destroy."^  And  when  the 
Lord  Jesus  answered  that  the  sons  of  Israel  were  like  the 
Ethiopians  among  the  nations,^  the  women  said,  "Thou,  O 
Lord,  knowest  all  things,  nor  is  anything  hid  from  thee; 
now,  indeed,  we  beseech  thee,  and  ask  thee  of  thy  affection 
to  restore  these  boys,  thy  servants,  to  their  former  condi- 
tion." The  Lord  Jesus  therefore  said,  "Come,  boys,  let  us 
go  and  play."  And  immediately,  while  these  women  were 
standing  by,  the  kids  were  changed  into  boys. 

On  a  certain  day  the  Lord  Jesus,  running  about  and  play-  (8) 
ing  with  the  boys,  passed  the  shop  of  a  dyer  whose  name 
was  Salem ;  and  he  had  in  his  shop  many  pieces  of  cloth 
which  he  was  to  dye.  The  Lord  Jesus  then,  going  into  his 
shop,  took  up  all  the  pieces  of  cloth,  and  threw  them  into 
a  tub  full  of  indigo.  And  when  Salem  came  and  saw  his 
cloths  destroyed,  he  began  to  cry  out  with  a  loud  voice, 
and  to  reproach  Jesus,  saying,  "Why  hast  thou  done  this 
to  me,  O  son  of  Mary?  Thou  hast  disgraced  me  before  all 
my  townsmen ;  for,  seeing  that  every  one  wished  the  colour 
that  suited  himself,  thou  indeed  hast  come  and  destroyed 
them  all."  The  Lord  Jesus  answered,  "I  shall  change  for 
thee  the  colour  of  any  piece  of  cloth  which  thou  shalt  wish  to 

^Another  case  of  enchantment  able  that  there  is  some  connec- 
and  metamorphosis  after  the  Ar-  tion  here  with  the  story  about 
abian  Nights  model,  like  that  Moses  referred  to  in  the  next 
given  in  the  last  chapter.  The  chapter,  but  it  is  quite  possible 
apocryphal  writer  has  had  the  that  the  narrative  above  should 
subject  suggested  to  him  by  read  "archway,"  instead  of  "fur- 
John    X.I  I    seq.,    Christ    as    the  nace." 

Good    Shepherd.    The   reference  °See  Jer.  xiii.23.    Reference  to 

to  His  heaHng  and  not  destroying  this  text  is  dragged  in  here  with- 

is   from  John  iii.17;   Mat.   v.17;  out  any  very  obvious  appropri- 

Luke    ix.56.      The    reference    to  ateness. 
the  furnace  makes  it  seem  prob- 


ii6    WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 


be  changed."  And  immediately  he  began  to  take  the  pieces 
of  cloth  out  of  the  tub,  each  of  them  of  that  colour  which 
the  dyer  wished,  until  he  had  taken  them  all  out.  When 
the  Jews  saw  this  miracle  and  prodigy,  they  praised  God.^ 
(n)  Now  it  came  into  the  mind  of  Mary  to  entrust  Jesus  to 
a  teacher,^  who  should  teach  him  some  trade  that  he  could 
follow.  So  she  brought  him  to  a  dyer,  and  said  to  him, 
"Take  this  boy,  and  teach  him  something  of  thine  art." 
Accordingly,  the  dyer  took  him,  and  said  to  him,  "What  is 
thy  name?"  He  answered,  "My  name  is  Jesus  the  son  of 
Mary."  Then  he  said  to  him,  "Jesus,  take  this  water-pot, 
and  after  thou  hast  filled  it  at  the  river,  fill  also  all  these 
tubs ;  and  take  these  colours."  Thereupon,  he  told  him  the 
dyes  he  should  put  in  the  tubs,  and  the  colours  he  should 
dye  the  clothes ;  then  he  left  him  alone,  and  went  to  his  own 
room.  Jesus,  then,  going  to  the  tubs,  filled  them  with 
water;  but  he  threw  the  dyes  in  one  of  them,  and  all  the 


^The  legend  that  Jesns  was  a 
dyer  is  wide-spread,  especially 
amongst  the  IMohammedans,  but 
whether  the  legend  gave  rise  to 
these  apocryphal  stories,  or  they 
are  the  source  of  the  legend,  it 
is  impossible  to  say.  Probably 
the  latter  is  the  case.  I  know 
of  no  canonical  incident  that 
might  serve  as  a  foundation  un- 
less, possibly,  the  story  of  Jo- 
seph's coat  of  many  colours.  I 
give  above  the  account  from  (8). 
The  original  story  in  the 
Thomas  Gospels  is  very  brief. 
Migne,  II,  381,  gives  a  much 
longer  version  from  the  mediae- 
val Enfance  de  Notre-Seigneur, 
already  referred  to.  But  it  does 
not  seem  to  me  to  be  of 
enough  interest  to  reprint.  It 
merely  enlarges  on  the  details, 
but  concludes  in  the  same  man- 
ner with  its  versions  of  many  of 
these  stories,  by  representing  the 


dyer  as  going  to  Joseph  and 
complaining  that  Jesus  had 
spoiled  his  cloths.  But  when  Jo- 
seph came  and  ordered  the 
cloths  to  be  retaken  out  of  the 
cauldron,  they  were  all  of  the 
right  colour,  and  the  dyer  was 
confounded. 

''This  paragraph  is  given  by 
Kessaeus,  Sike,  n.  p.  (57).  That 
it  is  but  a  version  of  the  above 
apocryphal  story,  is  quite  evident. 
Angeli  de  la  Brosse,  in  his  Per- 
sian Lexicon,  under  the  title 
"Tinctoria  Ars,"  says  that  the 
dyers  of  Persia  honour  Christ  as 
their  patron,  and  that  a  dyer's 
shop  is  called  "Shop  of  Christ," 
there.  And  that  this  refers  to  an 
apocryphal  writing  current 
among  the  Persians,  in  which 
the  story  is  told  that  Christ  fol- 
lowed the  dyer's  trade,  and  with 
a  single  dye  produced  all  the 
colours  in  materials. 


CHRIST  AND  THE  DYER  117 

clothes  with  them ;  then  he  went  home  to  his  mother. 
When,  now,  the  dyer  came  on  the  following  day,  and  saw 
what  Jesus  had  done,  he  gave  him  a  box  on  the  ear,  and 
said,  "O  Jesus,  thou  hast  ruined  me,  and  spoiled  the  peoples' 
clothes !"  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Let  that  not  trouble  thee ! 
But  what  is  thy  religion?"  He  answered,  "I  am  a  Jew." 
Jesus  said  to  him,  "Say,  'There  is  no  God  but  God,  and 
Jesus  is  the  prophet  of  God;^  and  then  plunge  thy  hand 
into  this  cauldron,  and  take  out  each  garment  of  the  colour 
which  its  owner  wished  it  to  have,"  When,  then,  the  dyer 
believed  on  God  and  Jesus,  and  went  to  work,  he  drew  out 
each  garment  dyed  according  to  the  wish  of  the  owner ;  and 
he  remained  stedfast  in  his  faith  in  Jesus. 

Now  Jesus  was  seven^  years  old,  and  Mary  his  mother  (2) 
sent  him  with  a  pitcher  to  the  fountain,  to  draw  water  with  (8) 
the  children.     And  it  came  to  pass,  after  he  had  drawn  the  (12) 
water,  that  there  were  great  crowds  there;  and  one  of  the  ^^3) 
children  came  against  him,  and  struck  the  pitcher,  and  broke 
it.^     And  Jesus  unfolded  the  cloak  which  he  had  on,  and 
took  up  in  his  cloak*  as  much  water  as  there  had  been  in  the 
pitcher,  and  carried  it  to  his  mother.    And  seeing  this,  she 
was  filled  with  astonishment,  and  embraced  him,  and  kissed 
him,  and  said,  "O  Lord,  hear  me,  and  save  my  son."     And 
she  reflected  within  herself,  and  laid  up  all  these  things  in 
her  heart.° 

^The  parody  of  the  well  known  ichaean  origin  of  this  document 
Mohammedan  formula  is  appar-  and  with  it  of  all  this  literature, 
ent.  Kessaeus  follows  this  par-  Wonderful  tales  are  told  of 
agraph,  which  I  have  quoted  what  Manes  did  when  he  was 
above,  with  the  words,  " — upon  seven  years  old.  All  the  other 
whom  be  peace !  And  upon  our  versions  of  this  story  have 
prophet  Mohammed,  the  highest  changed  the  age  to  six. 
benediction  and  the  profoundest  ^(8)  does  not  contain  the  ex- 
peace,  until  the  day  of  judg-  planation  that  the  children 
ment !"  broke  it. 

^The  age  is  given  thus  in  (14),  *(8)  says,  "in  his  handker- 
which  seems  to  contain  the  most  chief,"  and  (13),  "in  his  over- 
primitive  form  of  this  story.  The  coat." 

fact   has  been  referred  to  as  a  "See  Luke  ii.51.     The  above  in- 
possible  indication  of  the  Man-  cident  contains  no  very  evident 
12 


ii8      WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 


(n)  Still  further,  it  came  to  pass  that  our  Saviour  went  one 
day  to  seek  some  fire  in  the  mansion  of  a  merchant,  who  had 
a  servant  that  was  a  wicked  fellow.  And  he  said  to  the 
child  Jesus,  that  he  should  not  take  the  fire  away  if  he  did 
not  carry  it  in  his  lap.  "I  am  willing  to  do  so,"  said  the 
child  Jesus.  Then  the  servant  put  the  coals  in  his  lap, 
which  the  child  carried  as  easily  as  if  they  were  pears,  with- 
out spoiling  his  robe,  at  which  the  servant  and  his  master 
were  greatly  amazed.^ 

(2)      Now  in  the  time  of  sowing,  Joseph  went  out  to  sow  wheat 

(^°)  in  their  land,  and  Jesus  followed  him.     And  when  Joseph 
(12)  ^  J  .'I 

(14)  began  to  sow,  Jesus  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  took  as 
much  wheat  as  he  could  hold  in  his  fist,  and  scattered  it.^ 
Joseph  came,  therefore,  at  reaping  time,  to  reap  his  harvest. 
Jesus  came  also,  and  collected  the  ears  which  he  had  scat- 


supernatural  element,  as  it  is 
quite  conceivable  that  the  cloak 
might  have  been  waterproof. 
The  intention  seems  to  be,  how- 
ever, to  show,  as  in  many  in- 
stances already  noticed,  the  vir- 
tue acquired  by  articles  of  cloth- 
ing that  had  been  worn  by 
Christ. 

^This  is  taken  from  Enfance 
de  Notre-Seigneur,  Migne,  II, 
col.  380.  It  is  an  evident  parody 
of  the  foregoing.  The  mediae- 
val legend-monger  thinks  he  has 
heightened  the  miraculous  char- 
acter by  changing  the  element. 
A  hint  may  also  have  been  taken 
from  the  story  of  the  swaddling- 
band  which  the  fire  could  not 
consume,  told  in  chap.  VI. 

"We  have  already  had  forms 
of  this  favourite  miracle  in  chaps. 
VII  and  VIII.  It  probably  had 
its  origin  in  the  attempt  to  gloss 
and  explain  the  text  in  John 
xii.24.  Christ  Himself  represents 
the  corn  of  wheat  that  falls  into 


the  ground  and  dies.  But  from 
His  death  springs  a  myriad  of 
other  grains  endowed  with  life 
by  Him.  I  follow  the  version 
of  (10)  closest  in  the  above. 
(12)  says  He  sowed  one  grain 
and  reaped  a  hundred  quarters, 
and  (14)  that  He  sowed  one 
bushel  and  reaped  a  hundred 
quarters.  Antoninus  of  Placen- 
tia,  translated  by  B.  H.  Cowper 
in  Journal  of  Sacred  Literature, 
January,  1866,  says  that  circa 
570,  he  saw  the  field  in  which 
Christ  produced  this  miraculous 
harvest.  In  chap.  XIII,  speak- 
ing of  Jericho,  he  says :  "Before 
the  church  is  the  sacred  field  of 
the  Lord,  in  which  our  Lord 
sowed  corn  with  his  own  hand — 
sowing  as  much  as  three  bushels 
of  corn,  which  also  is  gathered 
twice  a  year ;  first  in  the  month 
of  February  that  it  may  be  used 
at  the  communion  at  Easter; 
where  it  has  been  gathered  it  is 
ploughed,    and    gathered    again 


THE  MIRACULOUS  HARVEST 


119 


tered,  and  they  made  an  hundred  pecks  of  the  best  grain ; 
and  he  called  the  poor,  and  the  widows,  and  the  orphans  of 
the  village  to  the  threshing-floor,  and  distributed  to  them 
the  wheat  which  he  had  made.  Joseph  also  took  a  little  of 
the  same  wheat  which  was  left,  for  the  blessing  of  Jesus 
to  his  house.^  And  he  was  eight  years  old  when  he  did  this 
miracle. 

Now  when  the  Lord  Jesus  had  completed  seven  years  (8) 
from  his  birth,  on  a  certain  day  he  was  occupied  with  boys 
of  his  own  age.^  For  they  were  playing  among  clay,  from 
which  they  were  making  images  of  asses,  oxen,  birds,  and 
other  animals ;  and  each  one,  boasting  of  his  skill,  was  prais- 
ing his  own  work.  Then  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  the  boys, 
"The  images  that  I  have  made  I  will  order  to  walk."  The 
boys  asked  him  then  whether  he  were  the  son  of  the  Creator ; 


with  the  rest  of  the  harvest. 
Then  it  is  ploughed  again." 
Cowper  seems  to  think  that  this 
proves  that  the  above  miracle 
had  not  been  invented  at  that 
date. 

'See  Josh  xv.19;  II  Kings  v.15, 
for  explanation  of  above  He- 
braism for  a  gift.  The  sense 
here,  however,  is  rather  that  of 
a  charm  conferring  blessing 
upon  his  house. 

'I  give  here  the  version  of  this 
-miracle  just  as  reported  by  (8)  ; 
other  forms  of  it  will  occur  in 
chap.  XI,  connected  with  malev- 
olent circumstances  as  told  in  the 
Thomas  Gospels.  Again  we  have 
the  significant  age,  seven  years. 
In  the  other  documents,  this  has 
been  changed.  A  similar  miracle 
is  twice  mentioned  in  the  Koran. 
The  first,  from  Sura  iii.48,  I 
have  incorporated  with  my  text 
in  chap.  XVI;  the  other,  Sura 
V.I  19,  represents  God  as  saying, 
■"O    Jesus,    son    of    Mary,    think 


of  my  grace  toward  thee,  etc. 
*  *  *  thou  didst  make  accord- 
ing to  my  will  the  form  of  a  bird 
from  clay,  thou  didst  breathe 
upon  it,  and  according  to  my  will 
it  became  a  live  bird."  The  Mo- 
hammedan interpreters  said  this 
bird  was  a  bat,  because  that  was 
the  most  perfect  form  of  bird. 
Sike,  n.  p.  (52),  tells  how  Sara- 
cens who  wished  to  embrace 
Christianity  were  required  to 
anathematize  this  blasphemy  of 
the  Mohammedans,  that  Christ 
had  made  birds  from  clay  and 
caused  them  to  fly.  The  story  is 
also  told  in  the  blasphemous 
Jewish  book  about  Christ,  Tole- 
doth  Jeschu,  and  in  the  Puranas, 
referring  to  Krishna.  The  story 
is  thus  probably  of  pre-christian 
date,  and  one  can  readily  see 
how  such  texts  as,  John  v.21  and 
vi.63,  or  Mat.  iii.9,  would  sug- 
gest to  apocryphal  writers  its 
adaptation  in  Christian  form. 


120      WONDER  TALES  OF  THE  CHILDHOOD 

and  the  Lord  Jesus  bade  them  walk.  And  they  imme- 
diately began  to  leap ;  and  then,  when  he  had  given  them 
leave,  they  again  stood  still.  And  he  made  figures  of 
birds  and  sparrows,  which  flew  when  he  told  them  to  fly, 
and  stood  still  when  he  told  them  to  stand,  and  ate  and 
drank  when  he  handed  them  food  and  drink.  After  the 
boys  had  gone  away  and  told  this  to  their  parents,  their 
fathers  said  to  them,  "My  sons,  take  care  not  to  keep  com- 
pany with  him  again,  for  he  is  a  wizard;  flee  from  him, 
therefore,  and  avoid  him,  and  do  not  play  with  him  again 
after  this." 
(2)  There  is  a  road  going  out  of  Jericho  and  leading  to  the 
river  Jordan,  to  the  place  where  the  children  of  Israel 
crossed;  and  there  the  ark  of  the  covenant  is  said  to  have 
rested.  And  Jesus  was  eight  years  old,  and  he  went  out  of 
Jericho,  and  went  towards  the  Jordan.^  And  there  was 
beside  the  road,  near  the  bank  of  the  Jordan,  a  cave  where 
a  lioness  was  nursing  her  cubs ;  and  no  one  was  safe  to  walk 
that  way.^  Jesus,  then,  corning  from  Jericho,  and  knowing 
that  in  that  cave  the  lioness  had  brought  forth  her  young, 
went  into  it  in  the  sight  of  all.  And  when  the  lions  saw 
Jesus,  they  ran  to  meet  him,  and  adored  him.  And  Jesus 
was  sitting  in  the  cavern,  and  the  lion's  cubs  ran  hither  and 
thither  round  his  feet,  fawning  upon  him,  and  sporting. 
And  the  older  lions,  with  their  heads  bowed  down,  stood 

^There  is  no  other  document  miracles.  To  do  either,  is  prac- 
of  which  I  know  that  assumes  tically  impossible  amidst  the  con- 
any  part  of  the  Infancy  to  have  flicts  that  constantly  occur 
been  passed  at  Jericho.  It  is  to  amongst  authorities,  or  the  lack 
be  supposed  that  the  other  events  of  any  indications.  My  arrange- 
narrated  in  this  chapter  took  ment  is  based  altogether  upon 
place  at  Nazareth.  I  have  made  the  character  of  the  incidents, 
no  effort  in  my  compilation  of  ^Lions  have  long  been  extinct 
chapters  IX,  X,  and  XI  to  lo-  in  Palestine,  but  Phocas  says 
cate  the  scene  of  each  incident,  that  in  the  twelfth  century  they 
or  to  preserve  chronological  se-  were  still  to  be  found  among  the 
quence  as  to  the  age  at  which  reeds  on  the  banks  of  the  Jor- 
Christ    performed    the    different  dan. 


CHRIST  AND  THE  LIONS  121 

at  a  distance,  and  adored  him,  and  fawned  upon  him  with 
their  tails.^ 

Then  the  people  who  were  standing  afar  off,  not  seeing  (2) 
Jesus,  said,  "Unless  he  or  his  parents  had  committed  griev- 
ous sins,  he  would  not  of  his  own  accord  have  offered  him- 
self up  to  the  lions."  And  when  the  people  were  thus  re- 
flecting within  themselves,  and  were  lying  under  great 
sorrow,  behold,  on  a  sudden,  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  Jesus 
came  out  of  the  cave,  and  the  lions  went  before  him ;  and 
the  lion's  cubs  played  with  each  other  before  his  feet.  And 
the  parents  of  Jesus  stood  afar  off,  with  their  heads  bowed 
down,  and  watched ;  likewise  also  the  people  stood  at  a  dis- 
tance, on  account  of  the  lions ;  for  they  did  not  dare  to 
come  close  to  them.  Then  Jesus  began  to  say  to  the  people, 
"How  much  better  are  the  beasts  than  ye,  seeing  that  they 
recognize  their  Lord,  and  glorify  Him ;  while  ye  men,  who 
have  been  made  after  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  do  not 
know  Him !  Beasts  know  me,  and  are  tame ;  men  see  me, 
and  do  not  acknowledge  me."^ 

After  these  things,  Jesus  crossed  the  Jordan  in  the  sight  (2) 
of  them  all,  with  the  lions;  and  the  water  of  Jordan  was 
divided  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left.^  Then  he  said  to 
the  lions,  in  the  hearing  of  all,  "Go  in  peace,  and  hurt  no 
one ;  but  neither  let  man  injure  you,  until  ye  return  to  the 
place  whence  ye  have  come  forth."  And  they,  bidding  him 
farewell,  not  only  with  their  gestures,  but  with  their  voices, 
went  to  their  own  place.     But  Jesus  returned  to  his  mother, 

^We  have  already  seen  in  chap.  after  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan 

VII,    a    similar    incident,    these  by  Elijah  with  Elisha,  as  told  in 

same    beasts    adoring    Christ    in  II  Kings  ii.8,  and  Elisha's  sim- 

the  desert.     But  the  special  inci-  ilar  miracle,  ibid,  v.14.     But  the 

dent    which    has    suggested    the  language  used  in  the  second  pre- 

above   is   undoubtedly  the   story  ceding    paragraph,    "where    the 

of    Daniel    cast    into    the    lion's  children      of      Israel      crossed," 

den.     See  Dan.  vi.i6  seq.  shows  that  the  apocryphal  writer 

^There  is  plainly  a  reference  had  particularly  in  mind  the  in- 
here to  Is.  1.3.  cident  told  in  Josh.  iii.i6. 

'This    seems    to   be   modelled 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    CHILD    CHRIST    PERFORMS   WONDERFUL    CURES. 

Plays  King — Cures  Serpent's  Bite — Viper's  Bite — 
Heals  Wounded  Foot — Raises  Man  fallen  from 
House — Rescues  Boy  from  Well — Raises  Boy  fal- 
len FROM  Roof — Heals  Broken  Arms  and  Legs  be- 
fore the  Judge — Raises  Dead  Child — Heals  Child 
with  Eye  Disease — Another — Heals  Child  of  Fever 
— Protects  Child  in  Oven  and  Well — Heals  the. 
Twin — Leprous  Woman — Another — Heals  Woman 
possessed  by  Satan — Heals  Judas — Raises  Deai> 
Man.' 

Main  Sources:  (2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  z^,  40,  41. 

(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  27-35,  41-44- 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  7,  8,  14,  15. 
(12) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  First  Greek  Form,  9,  10, 

16-18. 
(13) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Second  Greek  Form,  8,  9. 
(14) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form,  8,  14. 

(8)  Now  in  the  month  of  Adar,^  Jesus,  after  the  manner  of 
a  king,  assembled  the  boys  together.  They  spread  their 
clothes  on  the  ground  and  he  sat  down  upon  them.^  Then 
they  put  on  his  head  a  crown  made  of  flowers,  and,  like 
chamber-servants,  stood  in  his  presence,  on  the  right  and  on 

'The  twelfth  month  with  the  the  parallel  accounts  of  the  Palm 

Jews,  corresponding  to  the  last  Sunday  entrance  into  Jerusalem, 

half  of   February   and   the   first  doubtless    form    the    inspiration 

half  of  March.     See  Esther  iii.7;  for  this  legend.    Cyrus  is  said  to 

viii.12;  II  Mac.  y:^.ZT-  have  played  king  among  the  Per- 

^See  Luke  xix.36,  which,  and  sian  boys. 

(122) 


CHRIST  PLAYS  KING  123 

the  left,  as  if  he  were  a  king.  And  whoever  passed  by  that 
way  was  forcibly  dragged  by  the  boys,  saying,  "Come 
hither,  and  adore  the  king;  then  go  thy  way." 

In  the  meantime,  while  these  things  were  going  on,  some  (8) 
men  came  up  carrying  a  boy.  For  this  boy  had  gone  into 
the  mountains  with  those  of  his  own  age  to  seek  wood,  and 
there  he  found  a  partridge's  nest ;  and  when  he  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  take  the  eggs  from  it,  a  venomous  serpent 
bit  him  from  the  middle  of  the  nest,  so  that  he  called  out  for 
help.  His  comrades  accordingly  went  to  him  with  haste,  and 
found  him  lying  on  the  ground  like  one  dead.  Then  his 
relatives  came  and  took  him  up  to  carry  him  back  to  the 
city.  And  after  they  had  come  to  that  place  where  the  Lord 
Jesus  was  sitting  like  a  king,  and  the  rest  of  the  boys  stand- 
ing round  him  like  his  servants,  the  boys  went  hastily  for- 
ward to  meet  him  who  had  been  bitten  by  the  serpent,  and 
said  to  his  relatives,  "Come  and  salute  the  king."  But 
when  they  were  unwilling  to  go  on  account  of  the  sorrow 
in  which  they  were,  the  boys  dragged  them  by  force  against 
their  will. 

And  when  they  had  come  up  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  he  asked  (8) 
them  why  they  were  carrying  the  boy.  And  when  they 
answered  that  a  serpent  had  bitten  him,  the  Lord  Jesus  said 
to  the  boys,  "Let  us  go  and  kill  that  serpent."  And  the 
parents  of  the  boy  asked  leave  to  go  away,  because  their  son 
was  in  the  agony  of  death ;  but  the  boys  answered  them, 
saying,  "Did  ye  not  hear  the  king  saying,  'Let  us  go  kill  the 
serpent  ?'  and  will  ye  not  obey  him  ?"  And  so,  against  their 
will,  the  couch  was  carried  back.  And  when  they  came  to 
the  nest,  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  the  boys,  "Is  this  the  ser- 
pent's place  ?"  They  said  that  it  was ;  and  the  serpent,  at 
the  call  of  the  Lord,  came  forth  without  delay,  and  sub- 
mitted itself  to  him.^     And  he  said  to  it,  "Go  away,  and 

^Serpent     charming    is     often  forbidden  art,  and  its  professors 

mentioned    in    the    Old    Testa-  ranked     with     sorcerers.       The 

ment.     See   Deut.    xviii.ii;     Ps.  wish   to   have   Christ   appear  as 

lviii.6;  Jer.  viii.17;  Eccles.  x.ii.  far   surpassing  what  men  could 

The    passage    first    referred    to  do    by    this    occult    art    is    suflfi- 

shows  that  it  was  considered  a  cient   explanation   of  the   fabri- 


124         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

suck  out  all  the  poison  which  thou  hast  infused  into  this 
boy."  And  so  the  serpent  crawled  to  the  boy,  and  sucked 
out  all  its  poison.  Then  the  Lord  Jesus  cursed  it,  and  im- 
mediately on  this  being  done,  it  burst  asunder ;  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  stroked  the  boy  with  his  hand,  and  he  was  healed. 
And  he  began  to  weep,  but  Jesus  said,  "Weep  not,  for  by 
and  by  thou  shalt  be  my  disciple."  And  this  is  Simon  the 
Canaanite  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the  Gospel.^ 
(2)  And  when  they  lived  in  the  city  which  is  called  Bethle- 
S^}  hem,  Joseph  lived  with  Mary  in  his  own  house,  and  Jesus 
(12)  with  them.  And  on  a  certain  day,  Joseph  called  to  him 
'^"^^  his  first-born  son,  James,  and  sent  him  into  the  vegetable 
garden  to  gather  vegetables  for  the  purpose  of  making 
broth.^  And  Jesus  followed  his  brother  James  into  the 
garden ;  but  Joseph  and  Mary  did  not  know  this.  And 
while  James  was  collecting  the  vegetables,  a  viper  suddenly 
came  out  of  a  hole  and  struck  his  hand,  and  he  began  to  cry 
out  from  excessive  pain.  And  becoming  exhausted,  he  said 
with  a  bitter  cry,  "Alas !  alas !  an  accursed  viper  hath  struck 
my  hand."^  And  Jesus,  who  was  standing  opposite  to  him, 
at  the  bitter  cry  ran  up  to  James,  and  took  hold  of  his  hand ; 
and  all  that  he  did  was  to  blow  on  the  hand  of  James,*  and 

cation  of  this  incident.    He  here  early     introduction     of     Gospel 

simply  calls  the  serpent  to  Him,  characters  in  which  (8)  delights, 

whilst  the  charmer  must  indulge  ^I  give  the  form  of  this  mir- 

in  incantations;  and  not  only  is  able  in  (2),  which  includes  most 

the  serpent  harmless  before  Him,  of  the  details  given  by  the  vari- 

but  must  actually  suck  out  the  ous    versions.     (8),     (12),    and 

venom    which    it    has    injected.  (14)  say  that  James  was  sent  to 

But  I  suppose  there  is  not  ab-  gather    wood,    which    is    plainly 

sent  the  idea  of  Christ's  triumph  the  true  version;   (10)  says  that 

over  the  old  serpent  Satan,  the  he  was  sent  to  gather  stubble, 

neutralizing  of  his   poison,   and  ^(10)     says     he     fell    to    the 

his  final   destruction.    This  also  ground  as  if  dead, 

would  be  enough  to  account  for  *This   healing  by  blowing,   or 

the  legend.    It  is  essentially  only  as   some   of  the   versions   have, 

an  expanded  version  of  the  older  breathing   on    the    wound,    sug- 

legend  which  follows.  gests    Christ's   breathing  on  the 

^See    Mat.    x.4;    Mark    iii.iB;  apostles  that  they  might  receive 

and   compare   Luke   vi.is;    Acts  the  Holy  Ghost,  see  John  xx.22. 

i.13.     Another  instance  of  that  According  to  the  Persians,  the 


THE  SEVERED  FOOT  HEALED      125 

cool  it;  and  immediately  James  was  healed,  and  the  ser- 
pent, bursting,  died.  And  Joseph  and  Mary  did  not  know 
what  had  been  done ;  but  at  the  cry  of  James,  and  the  com- 
mand of  Jesus,  they  ran  to  the  garden,  and  found  the  serpent 
already  dead,  and  James  quite  cured. 

A  few  days  after,  one  of  the  neighbours,  a  young  man  in  (10) 
that  town,  was  splitting  wood  in  the  corner,  and  the  axe  (^-) 
came  down  and  cut  the  sole  of  his  foot  in  two ;  and  he  was 
at  the  point  of  death  from  loss  of  blood.    And  there  was  a 
great  commotion,  and  a  great  number  of  people  ran  to- 
gether; and  the  child  Jesus  too  went  with  them.    And  he 
pressed  through  the  crowd,  and  took  hold  of  the  young 
man's  wounded  foot,  and  cured  him  directly ;  and  it  was 
made  whole.   And  he  said  to  him,  "Rise  up  now,  split  thy     ' 
wood,  and  remember  me."  And  he  rose  up  and  adored  him, 
giving  thanks,  and  splitting  the  wood.    Likewise,  also,  all 
that  were  there  wondered  and  adored,  and  gave  thanks  to 
him,  saying,  "Truly  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  this  child. 
Indeed  we  most  surely  believe  that  thou  art  God."^ 

And  some  time  after  there  occurred  a  great  commotion 
while  a  house  was  building,  and  Jesus  stood  up  and  went 
away  to  the  place.  And  seeing  a  man  lying  dead,  he  took 
him  by  the  hand,  and  said,  "Man,  I  say  to  thee,  arise,  and 
go  on  with  thy  work."  And  directly  he  rose  up,  and  adored 
him.  And  seeing  this,  the  crowd  wondered,  and  said,  "This 
child  is  from  heaven,  for  he  hath  saved  many  souls  from 
death,  and  he  continueth  to  save  during  all  his  life."^ 

healing  power  of  Christ  resided  pel  miracle  has  for  some  reason 
in  His  breath.     Thus  the  lines  in  never   passed   over   into   any   of 
vs.  iv.  of  Omar  Khayyam's  Ru-  the     other     compilations     made 
baiyat,   descriptive   of   the   com-  from  that  collection.    I  know  of 
ing    of    spring:  no  special  conjecture  to  account 
"Where     the     white     hand     of  for  its  origin,  except  that  it  was 
Moses  on  the  bough  a  natural  fabrication  in  a  collec- 
Puts    out,    and    Jesus    from   the  tion    speaking    so    often    of   the 
ground  suspires."  carpenter's   work  and  of  build- 
See    chap.    XXI    for    another  ing. 
reference   to   the   virtue   of   the  ^This   last   sentence   is   an   in- 
Saviour's  breathing.  stance   of  that   true  but   uncon- 
'This  particular  Thomas  Gos-  scious  prophecy,  that  these  Gos- 


(12) 


126         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

(n)  Now  there  was  a  rich  man  who  had  a  great  well  about 
his  mansion.  And  his  son  fell  down  this  well,  on  which 
account  the  parents  were  very  sorrowful.  And  he  had  all 
his  friends  in  the  city  come  to  search  for  his  son.  And  as 
our  Saviour  passed  along  the  street,  he  heard  the  cries  and 
weeping  that  arose  in  that  mansion.  So  he  entered,  and 
asked  the  father  of  the  child  why  he  mourned  so  excessively. 
The  father  replied,  "Alas!  I  have  a  bitter  sorrow,  for 
during  three  days  have  I  been  trying  to  recover  my  child 
who  is  drowned  in  this  well."  Then  Jesus,  before  all  the 
people,  and  without  saying  a  word,  leaped  precipitately  into 
the  well,  and  afterwards  emerged  from  it,  bearing  the  child 
upon  his  neck,  at  which  the  father  experienced  the  greatest 
joy.  So  he  praised  Jesus,  the  all-powerful,  and  thanked 
him.^ 
(2)  After  these  things,  Joseph  and  Mary  departed  thence 
(8)  with  Jesus  into  the  city  of  Nazareth ;  and  he  remained  there 

(12)  with  his  parents.   And  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,^  when 

(13)  Jesus  was  playing  with  the  children  on  the  roof^  of  a  certain 
^  house,  it  happened  that  one  of  the  children  pushed  another 

down  from  the  roof  to  the  ground,*  and  he  was  killed.  And 
seeing  this,  the  rest  of  the  boys  fled  in  all  directions;  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  was  left  alone  on  the  roof  from  which  the 
boy  had  fallen.  And  when  the  news  was  brought  to  the 
parents  of  the  dead  boy,  they  ran  weeping ;  and  finding  their 
boy  lying  dead  upon  the  ground,  and  Jesus  standing  above, 

pels  so  delight  to  introduce.  The  further  on  in  this  chapter,  and 

incident   is   not   found   in    (14),  drawn    from    (8).     One    of   the 

the  oldest  form  of  Thomas,  but  Agrapha,    see    chap.    XIX,    has 

only  in  (12),  and  has  not  passed  curious  likeness  to  a  reference  to 

into  the   derived   documents.     I  some  such  incident  as  this.     Al- 

take  it  to  be  a  derived  form  of  though  from  a  late  document,  I 

the    legend   told    in   the    second  imagine  that  this  story  preserves 

paragraph  following.  some  ancient   apocryphon. 

*I    take    this    paragraph    from  ^(14)    says,    "on    the    Sabbath 

the  Enfance  de  Notre-Seigneur,  day." 

as  given  by  Migne,  II,  col.  382.  ^(12)  says,  "in  an  upper  room." 

It  is  probably  derived  from  the  *(io    says,    "one    of    the   boys 

legend  of  the  child  preserved  in  fell  through  a  back  door." 
the    oven   and    the    well,    given 


ZENO  RAISED  FROM  THE  DEAD  127 

they  supposed  that  their  boy  had  been  thrown  down  by  him ; 
and  fixing  their  eyes  upon  him,  they  reviled  him,  and  re- 
proached and  threatened  him.  And  they  cried  out  against 
Joseph  and  Mary,  saying,  *'Your  son  hath  thrown  our  son 
down  to  the  ground,  and  he  is  dead."  But  Jesus  was  silent, 
and  answered  nothing.  And  Joseph  and  Mary  came  in 
haste  to  Jesus;  and  his  mother  asked  him,  saying,  "My 
Lord,  tell  me  if  thou  didst  throw  him  down."  And  the  Lord 
Jesus  said  to  them,  ''Do  not  bring  an  evil  report  against  me ; 
but  if  ye  do  not  believe  me,^  come  and  let  us  ask  the  boy 
himself,  that  he  may  bring  the  truth  to  light."  Then  the 
Lord  Jesus  immediately  leaped  down  from  the  house-top, 
and  standing  over  the  dead  body,  said,  with  a  loud  voice, 
"Zeno,  Zeno,  who  threw  thee  down  from  the  roof?"  Then 
the  dead  boy  leaped  and  stood,^  and  answering,  said,  "My 
Lord,  it  was  not  thou  who  didst  throw  me  down,  but  thou 
hast  raised  me  up.  Such  an  one  cast  me  down  from  it."  And 
when  the  Lord  commanded  those  who  were  standing  by  to 
attend  to  his  words,  the  parents  of  the  boy  and  all  who  were 
present  praised  God  for  the  miracle,  and  adored  Jesus. 

And  when  Jesus  was  with  other  children  he  repeatedly  (2) 
went  up  and  sat  down  on  a  balcony,  and  many  of  them  began 
to  do  likewise ;  and  they  fell  down,  and  broke  their  legs  and 
arms.    And  the  Lord  Jesus  healed  them.^ 

Now  Jesus  grew  very  rapidly,  and  when  upon  a  certain  (n) 
day  he  was  playing  with  the  boys,  one  of  them  leaped  upon 
the  back  of  another,  and  rode  upon  him,  and  striking  him 
with  his  foot,  killed  him.  Then  his  parents  hastened  thither, 
and  making  an  onset  upon  the  boys  (and  Jesus  was  among 
them),  brought  them  before  the  judge.  Mary  also  was 
present,  fearing  on  account  of  her  son.  And  the  judge  asked, 

^See  John  viii.46.     Perhaps  the  version  of  the  story,  that  in  (14). 

furnishing  of  a  vivid  commen-  °In  one  Ms.  of  (2),  this  little 

tary  on  this  idea,  that  no  man  narrative    follows    the    story   of 

could  convict  Christ  of  sin,  was  how  Jesus  lengthened  the  piece 

the     inspiration    that    produced  of  wood.   It  seems  to  be  a  mere 

this   legend.  reflection  of  the  foregoing  mir- 

°See  Acts   iii.8.    This   expres-  acle. 
sion  is  found  only  in  the  oldest 


128         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

"Who  hath  killed  this  boy?"  They  answered,  "Jesus  hath 
killed  him."  Then  said  the  judge,  "Why  hast  thou  killed 
him?"  Jesus  said,  "O  judge,  I  see  that  thou  art  a  foolish 
judge;  for  thou  shouldest  first  ask  whether  or  not  I  have 
killed  him."  Then  said  the  judge  to  him,  "I  see  that  thou  art 
clever;  but  what  is  they  name?"  He  replied,  "I  am  called 
Jesus  the  son  of  Mary."  Then  said  the  judge  again,  "Why 
hast  thou  killed  him,  O  Jesus?"  Jesus  answered,  "Have  I 
not  already  admonished  thee,  that  thou  shouldest  not  speak 
thus  ?"  Jesus,  thereupon  going  to  the  dead  boy,  said  to  him, 
"Arise,  by  the  permission  of  God."  And  when  he  arose  upon 
his  feet,  he  asked  him,  "Who  did  kill  thee?"  He  answered, 
"Such  and  such  an  one  did  kill  me,  but  Jesus  committed  no 
offence  against  me."  Thereupon  he  fell  down  dead,  and  on 
his  account  they  put  that  boy  to  death.^ 
(lo)  And  after  this,  the  infant  of  one  of  Joseph's  neighbours 
^^^)  fell  sick  and  died;  and  its  mother  mourned  for  it,  and  wept 
sore.  And  Jesus  heard  that  there  was  great  lamentation 
and  commotion,  and  ran  in  haste,  and  found  the  child  dead. 
And  he  stood  over  the  child,  and  knocked  upon  his  breast, 
and  said,  "I  say  to  thee,  child,  be  not  dead,  but  live,  and  be 
with  thy  mother."  And  directly  it  looked  up  and  laughed. 
And  he  said  to  the  woman,  "Take  thy  son,  and  give  him 
the  breast,  and  remember  me."  And  seeing  this,  the  crowd 
that  was  standing  by  wondered,  and  said,  "Truly  this  child 
is  either  God,  or  an  angel  of  God,  for  every  word  of  his  is  a 
certain  fact.  Already  hath  he  freed  many  souls  from  death, 
and  he  hath  made  whole  all  that  hope  in  him."  And  Jesus 
went  out  thence,  playing  with  the  other  children.^ 

^This  paragraph  is  from  Kes-  garding  the  pubHc  ministry.     In 

saeus,  Sike,  n.  p.  (63).    It  seems  this  respect,  its  good  sense  might 

to  be  a  much  altered  Mohamme-  well  have  been  imitated  by  the 

dan  version  of  the  story  told  in  Christian  legend-mongers, 

the     second     paragraph     above.  'This    is    a    rather    colourless 

Mohammedan    legend    seems    to  miracle  found  only  in   (10)   and 

be  chary  of  representing  Jesus  as  (12),  but  not  in   (14)-    It  may, 

raising    the     dead    permanently  however,     have     furnished     the 

during  His  Childhood,  although  groundwork  for  many  of  the  ac- 

abounding    in    such    stories    re-  counts  of  healing,  mainly  from 


CHRIST  CURES  EYE  DISEASES  129 

Thereafter,  going  into  the  city  of  Bethlehem/  they  saw  (g) 
there  many  and  grievous  diseases  infesting  the  eyes  of  the 
children,  who  were  dying  in  consequence.  And  a  woman 
was  there  with  a  sick  son,  whom,  now  very  near  death,  she 
brought  to  the  Lady  Mary,  who  saw  him  as  she  was  wash- 
ing Jesus  Christ.  Then  said  the  woman  to  her,  "O  my  Lady 
Mary,  look  upon  this  son  of  mine,  who  is  labouring  under  a 
grievous  disease."  And  the  Lady  Mary  listened  to  her,  and 
said,  "Take  a  little  of  that  water  in  which  I  have  washed  my 
son,  and  sprinkle  him  with  it."  She  therefore  took  a  little 
of  the  water,  as  the  Lady  Mary  had  told  her,  and  sprinkled 
it  over  her  son.  And  when  this  was  done,  his  illness  abated ; 
and  after  sleeping  a  little,  he  rose  up  from  sleep,  safe  and 
sound.  His  mother,  rejoicing  at  this,  again  took  him  to 
the  Lady  Mary.  And  she  said  to  her,  "Give  thanks  to  God, 
because  He  hath  healed  this  thy  son."^ 

There  was  in  the  same  place  another  woman,  a  neighbour  (8) 
of  her  whose  son  had  lately  been  restored  to  health.  And  as 
her  son  was  labouring  under  the  same  disease,  and  his  eyes 
were  now  almost  blinded,  she  wept  night  and  day.  And 
the  mother  of  the  child  that  had  been  cured,  said  to  her, 
"Why  dost  thou  not  take  thy  son  to  the  Lady  Mary,  as  I 
did  with  mine  when  he  was  nearly  dead?  And  he  got  well 
with  that  water  with  which  the  body  of  her  son  Jesus  had 

(8),    that    follow.     It    is    given  cryphal  documents.    The  mention 

with  but  slight  variations  in  the  of  Bethlehem  here    is    probably 

Enfance       de       Notre-Seigneur,  due  to  an  error  of  the  compiler 

Migne,  II,  col.  382.     Suggestions  of  (8),  who  let  this  name  stand 

for    it   have   been    furnished   by  where  it  was  meant  to  refer  to 

the  accounts  in  Luke  vii.ii  seq.  miracles    worked    at    an    earlier 

and  I  Kings  xvii.17  seq.  period  in  Christ's  life. 

^This    miracle    and    the    long  ^A    disease    of    the    character 

sequence  of  wonder  tales  taken  here  described  is  very  common 

from    (8),    which    follow,    seem  in    Palestine   and    is,    as    stated, 

all  to  be  located  by  it,  at  or  near  very  dangerous  for  young  chil- 

Bethlehem.     (8),  however,  near  dren.     The   method   of   cure   by 

its  close,  refers  to  the  ordinary  the  water   in   which   Christ  had 

residence  of  the  Holy  Family  as  been  washed,      peculiar  to    (8), 

being  at  Nazareth,  agreeing  thus  we  have  already  had  several  in- 

essentially   with   all    other   apo-  stances  of  in  chap.  VIII. 


130  WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

been  washed."  And  when  the  woman  heard  this  from  her, 
she  too  went  and  got  some  of  the  same  water,  and  washed 
her  son  with  it;  and  his  body  and  his  eyes  were  instantly 
made  well.  Her  also,  when  she  had  brought  her  son  to  her, 
and  disclosed  to  her  all  that  had  happened,  the  Lady  Mary 
ordered  to  give  thanks  to  God  for  her  son's  restoration  to 
health,  and  to  tell  nobody  of  this  matter.^ 
(8)  There  were  in  the  same  city  two  women,  wives  of  one 
man,  each  having  a  son  ill  with  fever.  The  one  was  called 
Mary,  and  her  son's  name  was  Cleopas.-  She  rose  and  took 
up  her  son,  and  went  to  the  Lady  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus, 
and  offering  her  a  beautiful  mantle,  said,  "O  my  Lady 
Mary,  accept  this  mantle,  and  for  it  give  me  one  small  band- 
age."^ Mary  did  so,  and  the  mother  of  Cleopas  went  away, 
and  made  a  shirt  of  it,  and  put  it  on  her  son.  So  he  was 
cured  of  his  disease;  but  the  son  of  her  rival  died.  Hence 
there  sprung  up  hatred  between  them;  and  as  they  did  the 
house-work  week  about,  and  as  it  was  the  turn  of  Mary 
the  mother  of  Cleopas,  she  heated  the  oven  to  bake  bread; 
and  going  away  to  bring  the  lump  that  she  had  kneaded, 
she  left  her  son  Cleopas  beside  the  oven.  Her  rival  seeing 
him  alone — and  the  oven  was  very  hot  with  the  fire  blazing 
under  it — seized  him  and  threw  him  into  the  oven,  and  took 
herself  off,  Mary  coming  back,  and  seeing  her  son  Cleopas 
lying  in  the  oven  laughing,  and  the  oven  quite  cold,  as  if  no 
fire  had  ever  come  near  it,  knew  that  her  rival  had  thrown 
him  into  the  fire.  She  drew  him  out,  therefore,  and  took 
him  to  the  Lady  Mary,  and  told  her  of  what  had  happened 

'We  have  had  another  instance  wards     in     Luke    xxiv.iS,     and 

of  such  a  request  not  to  tell  of  ]\Iary  the  mother  of  Cleopas  is 

a  cure,  near  the  end  of  chap.  V.  perhaps  introduced  as  an  expla- 

It  is  founded,  of  course,  on  such  nation  of  the  name  given  in  John 

passages  of  the  N.  T.  as.  Mat.  xix.25. 

viii.4;  ix.30;  xii.i6.  ^We  have  already  seen  several 

^Probably    we    are    to    under-  examples    of    the    attaching    of 

stand,  although  the   fact   is  not  magical    properties    to    the    gar- 

now  stated  in  the  text,  that  this  ments  worn  by   Christ, 
was  the  Cleopas  mentioned  after- 


THE  MIRACLE  OF  THE  WELL  131 

to  him.^  And  she  said,  "Keep  silence,  and  tell  nobody  of 
the  affair;  for  I  am  afraid  for  thee  if  thou  dost  divulge  it." 
After  this,  her  rival  went  to  the  well  to  draw  water;  and 
seeing  Cleopas  playing  beside  the  well,  and  nobody  near,  she 
seized  him  and  threw  him  into  the  well,  and  went  home  her- 
self. And  some  men  who  had  gone  to  the  well  for  water 
saw  the  boy  sitting  on  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  so  they 
went  down  and  drew  him  out.  And  they  were  seized  with 
great  admiration  of  that  boy,  and  praised  God.  Then  came 
his  mother,  and  took  him  up,  and  went  weeping  to  the  Lady 
Mary,  and  said,  "O  my  lady,  see  what  my  rival  hath  done 
to  my  son,  and  how  she  hath  thrown  him  into  the  well ;  she 
will  be  sure  to  destroy  him  some  day  or  other."  The  Lady 
Mary  said  to  her,  "God  will  avenge  thee  upon  her."  There- 
after, when  her  rival  went  to  the  well  to  draw  water,  her 
feet  got  entangled  in  the  rope,  and  she  fell  into  the  well. 
Some  men  came  to  draw  her  out,  but  they  found  her  skull 
fractured  and  her  bones  broken.  Thus  she  died  a  miserable 
death,  and  in  her  came  to  pass  that  saying,  "They  have 
digged  a  well  deep,  but  have  fallen  into  the  pit  which  they 
had  prepared."^ 

Another  woman  there  had  twin  sons  who  had  fallen  into  (8) 
disease,  and  one  of  them  died ;  and  the  other  was  at  his  last 

^At    first    sight,    this     legend  it.     Now,  not  only  did  this  fire 

would     seem     to     be     only     an  not    injure    the     child,     but    it 

adaptation   of   the    story   of   the  proved  the  means  of  saving  his 

Three  Holy  Children  in  Nebuch-  life.   For  just  at  this  time,  one  of 

adnezzar's  furnace,  Dan.  iii. 23.  It  Pharaoh's  officers  came  to  search 

so  much  resembles,  however,  one  for  the  child.    Seeing  fire  in  the 

related  by  Kessaeus,  Sike  n.  p.  oven,  he  never  thought  of  look- 

(45),  that  we  may   safely  con-  ing  in  it.    When  his  mother  re- 

clude    it    to    have    been    derived  turned,  Moses  called  out  to  her 

from  that,  or  at  least  from  the  from    the    oven,    and    told    her 

same  source  with  it.    This  story  how   God  had  protected   him. 

tells  that  when  Moses  was  a  child,  ^Reference      to      this    saying, 

his  mother  often  put  him  in  the  which  may  equally  be  found  in 

oven  and  kept  him  there  while  Prov.  xxvi.27;   Eccles.  x.8;   Ps. 

she  was  away  from  home.    Once  vii.15 ;  lvii.6,  also  in  the  Wisdom 

when   she  had   done  so,   Moses'  of   Sirach  xxvii.29,   shows   fully 

sister,  in  ignorance  of  his  pres-  enough     the     suggestion     upon 

ence  there,  kindled  a  fire  under  which  the  legend  was  founded. 


132         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

b'*eath.  And  his  mother,  weeping,  Hfted  him  up,  and  took 
him  to  the  Lady  Mary,  and  said,  *'0  my  lady,  aid  me  and 
succour  me.  For  I  had  two  sons,  and  have  just  buried  the 
one,  and  the  other  is  at  the  point  of  death.  See  how  I  am 
going  to  entreat  and  pray  to  God."  And  she  began  to  say, 
"O  Lord,  Thou  art  compassionate  and  merciful,  and  full  of 
affection.  Thou  gavest  me  two  sons,  of  whom  Thou  hast 
taken  away  the  one ;  this  one,  at  least,  leave  to  me."  Where- 
fore the  Lady  Mary,  seeing  the  fervour  of  her  weeping, 
had  compassion  on  her,  and  said,  *'Put  thy  son  in  my  son's 
bed,  and  cover  him  with  his  clothes."  And  when  she  had  put 
him  in  the  bed  in  which  Christ  was  lying,  he  had  already 
closed  his  eyes  in  death ;  but  as  soon  as  the  smell  of  thet 
clothes  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  reached  the  boy,  he  opened 
his  eyes,  and,  calling  upon  his  mother  with  a  loud  voice,  he 
asked  for  bread,  and  took  it  and  sucked  it.  Then  his  mother 
said,  "O  Lady  Mary,  now  I  know  that  the  power  of  God 
dwelleth  in  thee,  so  that  thy  son  healeth  those  that  partake 
of  the  same  nature  with  himself,  as  soon  as  they  have 
touched  his  clothes."  This  boy  that  was  healed  is  he  who  in 
the  Gospel  is  called  Bartholomew.^ 

(8)  Moreover,  there  was  there  a  leprous  woman,  and  she 
went  to  the  Lady  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  said,  "My 
lady,  help  me."  And  the  Lady  Mary  answered,  "What  help 
dost  thou  seek?  Is  it  gold  or  silver?^  or  is  it  that  thy  body 
be  made  clean  from  the  leprosy?"  And  that  woman  asked, 
"Who  can  grant  me  this  ?"  And  the  Lady  Mary  said  to  her, 
"Wait  a  little,  until  I  shall  have  washed  my  son  Jesus,  and 
put  him  to  bed."  The  woman  waited,  as  Mary  had  told  her ; 
and  when  she  had  put  Jesus  to  bed,  she  held  out  to  the 
woman  the  water  in  which  she  had  washed  his  body,  and 
said,  "Take  a  little  of  this  water,  and  pour  it  over  thy  body." 
And  as  soon  as  she  had  done  so,  she  was  cleansed,  and  gave 
praise  and  thanks  to  God. 

(8)  Therefore,  after  staying  with  her  three  days,  she  went 
away ;  and  coming  to  a  city,  saw  there  one  of  the  chief  men, 

^For    Bartholomew,    see    Mat.  *See  Acts  iii.6. 

X.3;  Mark  iii.iB;  Luke  vi.14. 


THE  LEPROUS  WIFE  CURED  133 

who  had  married  the  daughter  of  another  of  the  chief  men. 
But  when  he  saw  the  woman,  he  beheld  between  her  eyes 
the  mark  of  leprosy  in  the  shape  of  a  star  ;^  and  so  the 
marriage  was  dissolved,  and  became  null  and  void.  And 
when  that  woman  saw  them  in  this  condition,  weeping  and 
overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  she  asked  the  cause  of  their  grief. 
But  they  said,  "Inquire  not  into  our  condition,  for  to  no 
one  living  can  we  tell  our  grief,  and  to  none  but  ourselves 
can  we  disclose  it."  She  urged  them,  however,  and  entreated 
them  to  entrust  it  to  her,  saying  that  she  would  perhaps  be 
able  to  tell  them  of  a  remedy.  And  when  they  showed  her 
the  girl,  and  the  sign  of  leprosy  which  appeared  between 
her  eyes,  as  soon  as  she  saw  it,  the  woman  said,  "I  also, 
whom  ye  see  here,  laboured  under  the  same  disease,  when, 
upon  some  business  which  happened  to  come  in  my  way,  I 
went  to  Bethlehem.  There,  going  into  a  cave,^  I  saw  a 
woman  named  Mary,  whose  son  was  he  who  was  named 
Jesus ;  and  when  she  saw  that  I  was  a  leper,  she  took  pity  on 
me,  and  handed  me  the  water  with  which  she  had  washed 
her  son's  body.  With  it  I  sprinkled  my  body,  and  came  out 
clean."  Then  the  woman  said  to  her,  "Wilt  thou  not,  O  lady, 
rise  and  go  with  us,  and  show  us  the  Lady  Mary  ?"  And  she 
assented ;  and  they  rose  and  went  to  the  Lady  Mary,  carrying 
with  them  splendid  gifts.  And  when  they  had  gone  in, 
and  presented  to  her  the  gifts,  they  showed  her  the  leprous 
girl  whom  they  had  brought.  The  Lady  Mary  therefore, 
said,  "May  the  compassion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  de- 
scend upon  thee."  And  handing  to  them  a  little  of  the 
water  in  which  she  had  washed  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ, 
she  ordered  the  wretched  woman  to  be  bathed  in  it.  And 
when  this  had  been  done,  she  was  immediately  cured;  and 

^A  spot,  I  suppose,  such  as  is  erence  to  the  cave  of  the  Nativ- 

mentioned  in  Lev.  xiii.2  seq.,  or  ity,  indicating  a  story  that  orig- 

30  seq.  inally  was  connected  with  that 

^ofniann  thinks  that   a   real  earlier  period,  and  has  not  by  the 

cave  cannot  here  be  meant,  but  compiler  of  (8)  been  completely 

a   vaulted    apartment   or   some-  adapted  to  the  place  which  he 

thing  of  that  kind.    It  seems  to  gives  it  in  his  collection, 
me,  that  this  is  more  likely  a  ref- 
13 


134         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

they,  and  all  standing  by,  praised  God.  Joyfully,  therefore, 
they  returned  to  their  own  city,  praising  the  Lord  for  what 
He  had  done.  And  when  the  chief  heard  that  his  wife  had 
been  cured,  he  took  her  home,  and  made  a  second  marriage, 
and  gave  thanks  to  God  for  the  recovery  of  his  wife's  health. 
(8)  There  was  there  also  a  young  woman  afflicted  by  Satan ; 
for  that  accursed  wretch  repeatedly  appeared  to  her  in  the 
form  of  a  huge  dragon,  and  prepared  to  swallow  her.  He 
also  sucked  out  all  her  blood,  so  that  she  was  left  like  a 
corpse.  As  often  as  he  came  near  her,  she,  with  her  hands 
clasped  over  her  head,  cried  out,  and  said,  "Woe,  woe's  me, 
for  nobody  is  near  to  free  me  from  that  accursed  dragon !" 
And  her  father  and  mother,  and  all  who  were  about  her  or 
saw  her,  bewailed  her  lot;  and  men  stood  round  her  in  a 
crowd,  and  all  wept  and  lamented,  especially  when  she  wept, 
and  said,  "O  my  brethren  and  friends,  is  there  no  one  to 
free  me  from  that  murderer?"  And  the  daughter  of  the 
chief  who  had  been  healed  of  her  leprosy,  hearing  the  girl's 
voice,  went  up  to  the  roof  of  her  castle,  and  saw  her  with 
her  hands  clasped  over  her  head  weeping,  and  all  the  crowds 
standing  round  her  weeping  as  well.  She  therefore  asked 
the  demoniac's  husband  whether  his  wife's  mother  were 
aHve.  And  when  he  answered  that  both  her  parents  were 
living,  she  said,  "Send  for  her  mother  to  come  to  me." 
And  when  she  saw  that  he  had  sent  for  her,  and  she  had 
come,  she  said,  "Is  that  distracted  girl  thy  daughter?" 
"Yes,  O  lady,"  said  that  sorrowful  and  weeping  woman, 
"she  is  my  daughter."  The  chief's  daughter  answered, 
"Keep  my  secret,  for  I  confess  to  thee  that  1  was  formerly 
a  leper;  but  now  the  Lady  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus 
Christ,  hath  healed  me.  But  if  thou  wishest  thy  daughter 
to  be  healed,  take  her  to  Bethlehem,  and  seek  Mary  the 
mother  of  Jesus,  and  believe  that  thy  daughter  will  be 
healed ;  I  indeed  believe  that  thou  wilt  come  back  with  joy, 
with  thy  daughter  healed."  As  soon  as  the  woman  heard 
the  words  of  the  chief's  daughter,  she  led  away  her  daugh- 
ter in  haste;  and  going  to  the  place  indicated,  she  went  to 
the  Lady  Mary,  and  revealed  to  her  the  state  of  her  daughter. 


THE  DRAGON  DRIVEN  AWAY  135 

And  the  Lady  Mary,  hearing  her  words,  gave  her  a  Httle  of 
the  water  in  which  she  had  washed  the  body  of  her  son 
Jesus,  and  ordered  her  to  pour  it  on  the  body  of  her  daugh- 
ter. And  she  gave  her  also  from  the  clothes  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  a  swathing-cloth,  saying,  "Take  this  cloth,  and  show 
it  to  thine  enemy  as  often  as  thou  shalt  see  him."  And  she 
saluted  them,  and  sent  them  away. 

When,  therefore,  they  had  gone  away  from  her,  and  re-  (8) 
turned  to  their  own  district,  and  the  time  was  at  hand  at 
which  Satan  was  wont  to  attack  her,  at  this  very  time  that 
accursed  one  appeared  to  her  in  the  shape  of  a  huge  dragon ; 
and  the  girl  was  afraid  at  the  sight  of  him.  And  her 
mother  said  to  her,  "Fear  not,  my  daughter;  allow  him  to 
come  near  thee,  and  then  show  him  the  cloth  which  the 
Lady  Mary  hath  given  us,  and  let  us  see  what  will  happen." 
Satan,  therefore,  having  come  near  in  the  likeness  of  a 
terrible  dragon,  the  body  of  the  girl  shuddered  for  fear  of 
him ;  but  as  soon  as  she  took  out  the  cloth,  and  placed  it  on 
her  head,  and  covered  her  eyes  with  it,  flames  and  live  coals 
began  to  dart  forth  from  it,  and  to  be  cast  upon  the  dragon. 
O  the  great  miracle  which  was  done  as  soon  as  the  dragon 
saw  the  cloth  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  from  which  the  fire  darted, 
and  was  cast  upon  his  head  and  eyes !  He  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice,  "What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  O  Jesus,  son  of 
Mary?  Whither  shall  I  flee  from  thee?"^  And  with  great 
fear  he  turned  his  back,  and  departed  from  the  girl,  and 
never  afterwards  appeared  to  her.  And  the  girl  now  had 
rest  from  him,  and  gave  praise  and  thanks  to  God,  and  along 
with  her  all  who  were  present  at  this  miracle. 

Another  woman  was  living  in  the  same  place,  whose  son  (8) 
was  tormented  by  Satan.   He,  Judas^  by  name,  as  often  as 

^See   Mat.   viii.29;   Mark  v.7;  from   earlier    apocryphal    docu- 

Luke  viii.28.  ments  now  lost.    I  give  the  fol- 

^The  early  life  of  Judas  Iscar-  lowing   abstract   of   them : 

iot  is  given  at  great  length  in  the  Judas  was  the  son  of  Reuben, 

Golden  Legend,  which  see,  and  or  Simeon,  a  Jew  of  the  tribe  of 

in    other    mediaeval    tales.     See  Judah,   who   lived  at  Jerusalem 

Migne,  Legendes,  col.  714.    These  with   his   wife   Cyborea,   of  the 

accounts  were  probably  derived  tribe  of  Issachar.   Now  Cyborea 


136 


WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 


Satan  seized  him/  used  to  bite  all  that  came  near  him ;  and 
if  he  found  no  one  near  him,  he  used  to  bite  his  own  hands 
and  other  limbs.  The  mother  of  this  wretched  creature^ 
then,  hearing  the  fame  of  the  Lady  Mary  and  her  son  Jesus, 
rose  up  and  brought  her  son  Judas  with  her  to  the  Lady 
Mary.     In  the  meantime,  James  and  Joses^  had  taken  the 


—it  is  an  evident  adaptation  of 
the  classical  story  of  Oedipus — 
dreamed  that  she  should  bring 
forth  a  child,  who  would  murder 
his  father,  marry  his  mother,  and 
be  the  destruction  of  the  race 
of  the  Jews.  The  parents,  there- 
fore, placed  their  new-born 
child,  whom  they  called  Judas, 
in  a  boat;  and  set  him  adrift 
upon  the  sea.  This,  again,  is  an 
evident  imitation  of  the  story  of 
Moses ;  for  the  little  vessel  came 
ashore  at  Iscarioth,  which  some 
call  an  island,  others  a  city  upon 
the  coast  of  Palestine,  and  was 
there  found  by  the  childless 
queen  of  that  country.  She  took 
the  babe  and  palmed  him  off 
upon  the  people  as  her  own 
son.  But  afterwards  she  became 
the  mother  of  a  son ;  Judas  quar- 
relled with  his  little  foster  broth- 
er, and  finally  killed  him,  fleeing 
to  Jerusalem.  There  he  entered 
the  service  of  Pontius  Pilate. 
Now  it  happened,  one  day,  that 
Pilate,  passing  by  the  garden  of 
Reuben,  who  was  the  father  of 
Judas,  although  the  fact  was  un- 
known to  him,  saw  therein  a 
tree  loaded  with  very  beautiful 
apples,  of  which  he  greatly  de- 
sired to  eat.  Going  back  to  the 
place,  he  told  Judas  about  them, 
and  said  that  he  would  die  if 
he  did  not  get  some.  Judas  at 
once  went  and  made  an  assault 


upon  the  garden,  killing  his 
father  in  an  encounter,  but 
bringing  the  apples  in  triumph 
to  Pilate.  It  seems  to  the  me- 
diaeval blackener  of  the  char- 
acter of  Judas  a  happy  idea  to 
have  the  greatest  sins  of  that 
wretched  character  follow  as 
the  result  of  an  offence  that  is 
similar  to  that  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

The  next  thing,  Pilate  makes 
Cyborea,  who  was  now  a  very 
rich  widow,  marry  his  friend 
Judas.  But  the  latter,  soon  after, 
finding  out  his  relationship  to 
her,  and  realizing  the  enormity 
of  his  crimes,  repented  earnestly, 
and  going  to  Jesus,  who  was  just 
at  that  time  in  the  last  year  of 
His  public  ministry,  secured 
from  Him  the  pardon  of  his 
sins.  Judas  became  the  twelfth 
disciple. 

Shakespeare  in  As  You  Like 
It,  act  III,  scene  4,  refers  thus 
to  the  prevalent  mediaeval 
legend  that  Judas  had  red  hair 
and  beard: 

"His    very   hair   is    of   the    dis- 
sembling  colour. 
Something         browner         than 
Judas's." 

Painters  of  that  age  always  so 
depicted  the  arch-traitor. 

^See  Luke  xxii.3 ;  John  xiii.27. 

*See  chap.  Ill  for  notes  on  this 
name.  Justus  is  the  form  used 
in  most  documents. 


THE  DEMONIAC  JUDAS  137 

child,  the  Lord  Jesus,  with  them  to  play  with  the  other  chil- 
dren; and  they  had  gone  out  of  the  house,  and  sat  down, 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  with  them.  And  the  demoniac  Judas 
came  up,  and  sat  down  at  Jesus'  right  hand;  then,  being 
attacked  by  Satan  in  the  same  manner  as  usual,  he  wished  to 
bite  the  Lord  Jesus,  but  was  not  able ;  nevertheless,  he  struck 
Jesus  on  the  right  side,  whereupon  he  began  to  weep.  And 
immediately  Satan  went  forth  out  of  that  boy,  fleeing  like 
a  mad  dog.  And  this  boy  who  struck  Jesus,  and  out  of 
whom  Satan  went  forth  in  the  shape  of  a  dog,  was  Judas 
Iscariot,  who  betrayed  him  to  the  Jews ;  and  that  same  side 
on  which  Judas  struck  him,  the  Jews  transfixed  with  a 
lance.^ 

After  these  things,  Joseph  departed  thence  with  Mary  and  (2) 
Jesus  to  go  into  Capernaum  by  the  sea-shore,  on  account  of 
the  malice  of  his  adversaries.^  And  when  Jesus  was  living  in 
Capernaum,  there  was  in  the  city  a  man  named  Joseph,  ex- 
ceedingly rich.  But  he  had  wasted  away  under  his  infirmity, 
and  died,  and  was  lying  dead  on  his  couch.  And  when 
Jesus  heard  them  in  the  city  mourning,  and  lamenting  over 
the  dead  man,  he  said  to  Joseph,  "Why  dost  thou  not  afford 
the  benefit  of  thy  favour  to  this  man,  seeing  that  he  is  called 
by  thy  name?"  And  Joseph  answered  him,  "How  have  I 
any  power  or  ability  to  afford  him  a  benefit?"  And  Jesus 
said  to  him,  "Take  the  handkerchief^  which  is  upon  thy 
head,  and  go  and  put  it  upon  the  face  of  the  dead  man,  and 
say  to  him,  'Christ  heal  thee;'  and  immediately  the  dead 

See  chap.  XXVI.  arus  and  a  certain  young  man. 

This  follows,  in  (2),  the  ac-  They  are  not  of  sufficient  inter- 
count  of  malevolent  miracles  of  est  to  be  repeated,  besides  being 
Christ,  which  I  give  in  chaps,  entirely  out  of  place  at  this  point 
XI  and  XII.  It  was  these  that  in  the  narrative, 
had  excited  the  malice.  In  place  ^The  suggestion  for  this  is  cer- 
of  this  paragraph,  some  Mss.  of  tainly  found  in  Acts  xix.12.  Jo- 
(2)  give  account  of  a  number  seph's  supposed  obligation  to 
of  miracles  closely  imitated  from  confer  a  benefit  because  the  man 
those  of  the  canonical  Gospels —  was  called  by  his  name,  smacks 
Christ's  walking  on  the  sea,  of  later  ideas  about  patron 
feeding  the  five  thousand,  saints, 
healing  a  blind  man,  raising  Laz- 


138         WONDERFUL  CURES  PERFORMED 

man  will  be  healed,  and  will  rise  from  his  couch."  And 
when  Joseph  heard  this,  he  went  away  at  the  command  of 
Jesus,  and  ran,  and  entered  the  house  of  the  dead  man,  and 
put  the  handkerchief  which  he  was  wearing  on  his  head, 
upon  the  face  of  him  who  was  lying  in  the  couch,  and  said, 
"Jesus  heal  thee."  And  forthwith  the  dead  man  rose  from 
his  bed,  and  asked  who  Jesus  was. 


CHAPTER  XL 

DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST'S  CHILDHOOD/ 

Makes  Water  Pools  on  the  Sabbath — Boy  destroys 

THEM Is      STRUCK      DeAD  —  ChRIST      RAISES       HIM 

Makes  Sparrows  of  Clay — Makes  them  fly  away 
— Another  Boy  destroys  the  Pools — Is  cursed  and 

withered Is       RAISED       UP BOY       STRIKES      AGAINST 

Christ — Is  struck  Dead — Joseph  reproves  Christ 
— Accusers  struck  Blind — The  Boy  raised  up — 
Christ  breaks  and  restores  the  Earthen  Pots — The 
Story  of  the  Tile  Factory. 

Main  Sources  :  (2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  26-29. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  46,  47. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  4,  5. 
(12) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  First  Greek  Form,  2-5. 
(13) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Second  Greek  Form,  2-5. 
(14) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form,  1-4. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  upon  a  certain  Sabbath  day,  after  (2) 

Jesus  had  returned  out  of  Egypt  and  was  in  Galilee,  being  V°< 

five^  years  of  age,  that  a  great  rain  fell  upon  the  earth.  And  (13) 

(14) 

*I  have  included  in  this  chap-      shocking  figments   of   an   imag- 

ter  all  the  miracles  of  Christ's  ination  that  seemed  to  have  not 

Childhood  which  are  destructive  the    faintest    conception    of   the 

in  their  character,  or  attribute  a  real  character  ot  Jesus.  All  these 

malevolent     disposition     to     the  stories  appear  to  originate  in  the 

Saviour,  so  far,  at  least,  as  these  Thomas  Gospels.    See  the  intro- 

can  be  separated  from  other  in-  ductory  matter  with  reference  to 

cidents    that    do    not    share    in  these,    for    some    discussion    of 

these  characteristics.    I  only  re-  their  character, 

gret  that  the  scope  of  my  plan  'All  the  Thomas  Gospels  give 

compels     me    to    include    these  this  agC;  but   (2)   says  He  was 

(139) 


140  DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES 

the  boy  Jesus  went  out  of  the  house  where  his  mother  was, 
and  walked  up  and  down  in  it.  And  he  played  with  some 
children  at  the  bed  of  the  Jordan,  on  the  ground  where  the 
water  was  flowing.^  Now  Jesus  collected  the  water  into 
seven  pools,  and  to  each  of  the  pools  he  made  passages 
through  which,  at  his  command,  he  brought  the  water  in, 
and  took  it  back  again.  Then  he  said,  "It  is  my  will  that  ye 
become  clear  and  excellent  waters."  And  they  became  so, 
directly.^ 
(2)  Then  one  of  those  children  with  whom  he  was  playing,  a 
(^)  son  of  the  devil,  moved  with  envy,  shut  the  passages  which 
(12)  supplied  the  pools  with  water,  and  overthrew  what  Jesus 
had  built  up.^  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him,  "Woe  unto  thee, 
thou  son  of  death,  thou  son  of  Satan !  Dost  thou  destroy  the 
works  which  I  have  wrought?"*  And  immediately  he  who 
had  done  this,  died.  Then  with  great  uproar  the  parents 
of  the  dead  boy  cried  out  against  Mary  and  Joseph,  saying 
to  them,  "Your  son  hath  cursed  our  son,  and  he  is  dead." 
And  when  Joseph  and  Mary  heard  this,  they  came  forth- 
with to  Jesus,  on  account  of  the  outcry  of  the  parents  of  the 
boy,  and  the  gathering  together  of  the  Jews.  But  Joseph 
privately  said  to  Mary,  "I  dare  not  speak  to  him,  but  do 
thou  admonish  him,  and  say,  'Why  hast  thou  raised  against 
us  the  hatred  of  the  people ;  and  why  must  the  troublesome 

entering  on  His  fourth  year.    It  a    ford    of    streams    of    water," 

will  be  remembered,  that  the  age  and  (12),  "at  the  crossing  of  a 

was  given  as  seven  in  the  sim-  stream." 

ilar     miracle — undoubtedly     de-  ^This,  and  other  instances  that 

rived  from  this — which  is  given  follow    of    the    waters    obeying 

by    (8),  and  which   I   have   in-  Christ  may  have  been  suggested 

eluded  in  chap.  IX.   I  refer  back  by     Luke     viii.25.     Notice     the 

to  the  notes  upon  that,  for  dis-  mystical    number    seven    again, 

cussion    of    some    other    points  (8)    says    He   made   fish-ponds, 

which    might   be    raised   here.  and    (10)    says  "one  fish-pond." 

^As  for  the  locus  and  occasion,  ^(2)  only,  gives  the  double  ac- 

I  have  combined  the  accounts  of  count  which  I  present  in  this  and 

(2),    which    mentions    the    Jor-  the  two  following  paragraphs, 

dan,  and  of  (10)  and  (13),  which  ^I  am  mistaken,  if  the  apocry- 

speak   of   the  great   rain.     (14)  phal  writer  did  not  have  in  mind 

says  that  Christ  was  "playing  at  here  I  John  iii.8. 


THE  SPARROWS  MADE  OF  CLAY  141 

hatred  of  men  be  borne  by  us  ?'  "  And  his  mother,  having 
come  to  him,  asked  him,  saying,  "My  Lord,  what  was  it 
that  he  did  to  bring  about  his  death?"  And  he  said,  "He 
deserved  death,  because  he  scattered  the  works  that  I  had 
made."  Then  his  mother  asked  him,  saying,  "'Do  not  so, 
my  Lord,  because  all  men  rise  up  against  us."  But  he,  not 
wishing  to  grieve  his  mother,  with  his  right  foot  kicked 
the  hinder  parts  of  the  dead  boy,  and  said  to  him,  "Rise, 
thou  son  of  iniquity;  for  thou  art  not  worthy  to  enter  into 
the  rest  of  my  Father,  because  thou  didst  destroy  the  works 
which  I  had  made."  Then  he  who  had  been  dead,  rose  up, 
and  went  away.  And  Jesus,  by  the  word  of  his  power, 
brought  water  into  the  pools  by  the  aqueduct. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  after  these  things,  that  in  the  sight  (2) 
of  all,  Jesus  took  soft  clay  from  the  pools  which  he  had  y^K 
made,  and  of  it  fashioned  twelve  sparrows.^    And  it  being  (12) 
the  Sabbath  when  Jesus  did  this,-  one  of  the  Jews  who  had  >j^< 
seen  Jesus  playing  on  this  day,  said  to  Joseph,  "Joseph,  dost 
thou  not  see  the  child  Jesus  working  on  the  Sabbath  at 
what  is  not  lawful  for  him  to  do?  for  he  hath  made  twelve 
sparrows^  of  clay."  And  when  Joseph,  coming  to  the  place, 
heard  this,  he  reproved  Jesus,  saying,   "Wherefore  doest 
thou  on  the  Sabbath  such  things  as  are  not  lawful  for  us  to 
do?"    And  when  Jesus  heard  Joseph,  he  gave  no  answer, 
but  struck  his  hands  together,  and  said  to  his  sparrows, 
"Fly!  Off  ye  go!"    And  at  the  voice  of  his  command  they 
began  to  fly,  and  went  off  twittering ;  and  they  began  to  cry 
out  and  praise  God  Almighty.  And  in  the  sight  and  hearing 

^The   number   is   given   so   in  larly  in  vs.  8,  furnish  a  hint  to 

all  the  documents.     The  mysti-  the  apocryphal  writer  who  im- 

cal  reference  to  the  twelve  apos-  proves  upon  that  incident,  as  he 

ties    is,    I    think,    evident.      Ob-  thinks,  by  having  Christ  perform 

serve  how  well  the  words  which  a  distinctly  creative  work  on  the 

Christ    spoke    to    the    sparrows,  Sabbath.        This      is      probably 

apply  also  to  the  mission  of  the  further  suggested  by  John  v.17. 

apostles.     See  notes   on  corres-  ^The  mention  of  this  bird  in 

ponding  miracle  in  chap.   IV.  particular  is  certainly  suggested 

^The  incident  told  in  Mat.  xii.i  by  Christ's  teaching  in  Mat.  x.29 

seq.  and  Christ's  words,  particu-  and  parallel  passages. 


142  DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES 

of  all  that  stood  by,  he  said  to  the  birds,  "Go  and  fly  through 
the  earth,  and  through  all  the  world;  and  live,  for  nobody 
shall  kill  you,  and  remember  me."  And  when  Joseph  and 
those  that  were  there  saw  such  miracles,  they  were  filled 
with  great  astonishment.  And  some  praised  and  admired 
him,  but  others  reviled  him.  And  certain  of  them  went  to 
the  chief  priests  and  the  heads  of  the  Pharisees,  and  re- 
ported to  them  that  Jesus  the  son  of  Joseph  had  done  great 
signs  and  miracles  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people  of  Israel. 
And  this  was  reported  among  the  twelve  tribes.^ 
(2)  And  again  the  son  of  Annas  a  priest  of  the  temple,  who 
r^l  had  come  with  Joseph,  holding  a  willow  branch  in  his  hand,'' 
(12)  in  the  sight  of  all,  with  great  fury  broke  down  the  dams 
(li)  which  Jesus  had  made  with  his  own  hands,  and  let  out  the 
water  which  he  had  collected  in  them.  Moreover,  he  shut 
the  aqueduct  by  which  the  water  came  in,  and  then  broke  it 
down.  And  when  Jesus  saw  this,  he  said  to  the  boy  who 
had  destroyed  the  dams,  "O  son  of  death !  O  workshop  of 
Satan !  O  wicked,  impious,  and  foolish  sodomite !  What 
harm  did  the  pools  and  the  waters  do  to  thee,  that  thou  hast 
emptied  them  ?  Verily  the  fruit  of  thy  seed  shall  be  without 
strength,  and  shall  dry  up  like  a  bough  of  the  wood  which 
is  withered  by  the  storm,  and  is  no  more ;  thy  branches  shall 
be  withered,  bearing  no  fruit,  and  thy  roots  shall  be  without 
moisture.  Behold,  even  now,  thou  shalt  be  dried  up  like  a 
tree,  and  like  the  branch  which  thou  art  carrying."  And 
immediately,  in  the  sight  of  all,  the  boy  withered  away,  and 
was  quite  dried  up  and  died.^     And  when  the  children  that 

^The  sentence  is  significant,  as  All  the  rest  likewise  agree  that 

showing  that  the  author  of  the  he  used  a  willow  branch,  except 

Thomas  Gospels  was  ignorant  of  (2),  which  does  not  mention  the 

Jewish   history.     He   thinks   the  kind  of  wood.    The  name  Annas 

twelve  tribes   still  dwell  in  Ju-  seems   to   be   that   of   the   high 

daea  at  this  time.  priest  of  the  Passion,  and  the  dif- 

*(io)    says    that    this    person  ferent    retailers    of    the    legend 

was  a  Pharisee,  and  that  he  used  seem  to  hold  scribes,  priests,  and 

an  olive  branch.  All  the  rest  say  Pharisees  in  equal  detestation, 

that  he  was  the  son  of  Annas,  ^This  second  form  of  the  nar- 

ihe     scribe,    except     (2),    which  rative  telling  how  the  boy  was 

says  the  son  of  Annas,  the  priest,  struck  dead,  is  certainly  modelled 


THE  BOY  STRICKEN  DEAD  143 

were  playing  with  Jesus  saw  this,  they  wondered,  and  went 
away,  and  told  the  father  of  the  dead  boy.  But  the  parents 
of  the  boy  that  had  been  dried  up  took  him  up,  bewailing  his 
youth,  and  brought  him  to  Joseph;  and  reproached  him 
because  he  had  a  child  that  did  such  things,  saying,  "See 
what  thy  son  hath  done.  Teach  him  to  pray  and  not  to  blas- 
pheme." Then  Jesus,  being  besought  by  all  of  them,  healed 
him ;  but  permitted  a  certain  little  member  to  remain  useless, 
in  order  to  admonish  them.^ 

Then  Joseph  trembled,  and  took  hold  of  Jesus,  and  went  (2) 
with  him  through  the  village  to  his  own  house,  and  his  iK 
mother  with  him.   And,  behold,  suddenly  from  the  opposite  (12) 
direction  a  boy,  also  a  worker  of  iniquity,  ran  up  and  came  )^^< 
against  the  shoulder  of  Jesus,  wishing  to  make  sport  of  him, 
or  to  hurt  him  if  he  could;  and  struck  him  with  so  much 
force  that  he  fell.^     And  Jesus  was  angry,  and  said  to  him, 
"Thou  shalt  not  go  back  safe  and  sound  from  the  way  that 
thou  camest,  and  thou  shalt  not  finish  thy  journey.  As  thou 
hast  thrown  me  down,  so  shalt  thou  fall  and  not  rise  again." 
And  immediately  he  fell  to  the  ground  and  died.   And  the 
parents  of  the  dead  boy,  and  those  who  saw  what  had  taken 
place,  said,  "Whence  was  this  child  begotten,  that  every 
word  of  his  is  certainly  accomplished  ?  and  it  is  often  accom- 

after  one  of  the  two  destructive  concerning    this    man    which    I 

miracles   recorded   of   Christ   in  give  in  chap.  XVI. 

the  canonical  Gospels,  the  curs-  "Details  of  this  incident  diflfer 

ing  and  withering  of  the  barren  much  in  the  various  documents, 

fig  tree,  Mark  xi.13  seq.    Notice  I  follow   (2)   mainly,  with  such 

the   similarity  of   language.     In  additions  from  the  others  as  are 

this  case,  however,  the  boy  was  practicable.     (2)  brings  this  into 

dried  up  initnediately;  the  twelve  immediate   connection   with   the 

did  not  for  the  space  of  a  day  see  foregoing ;    all    the    others    say 

that  the  fig  tree  had  dried  up.  that  it  was  at  some  time  after. 

^This  sentence  is  an  addition  (13)   says  that  the  boy  threw  a 

found  only  in  the  Parisian  Codex  stone,  and  struck  Christ  on  the 

of     (12).    Fabricius     thinks     it  shoulder,    whilst    (10)    says    he 

points    out    the    man    with    the  ran  up  against  Him  and  struck 

withered  hand,  healed  by  Christ  Him   on   the   arm.     (8)    merely 

(see  Mat.  xii. 10-13),  as  the  per-  says   that   the   boy    ran   against 

son     here     intended.    But     this  Him,  and  apparently  ascribes  to 

would  not  agree  with  the  legend  him  no  malicious  intention. 


144  DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES 

plished  before  he  speaketh,"^  And  they  also  went  and  re- 
proached Joseph,  saying,  "Go  away  from  this  place,  and 
take  away  that  Jesus  from  this  city;  for  it  is  not  right  for 
such  a  boy  to  live  among  us,  since  he  is  killing  our  children. 
But  if  thou  wishest  to  remain  here,  teach  thy  child  to  pray 
and  not  to  blaspheme." 
(2)  And  Joseph  came  up  to  Jesus,  and  called  the  child  apart, 
(10)  and  reproved  him,  saying,  "Why  dost  thou  speak  and  do 

(13)  such  things?  For  these  people  suffer,  and  already  many  are 

(14)  in  grief  against  thee,  and  hate  us  on  thy  account,  and  perse- 
cute us;  and  we  endure  the  reproaches  of  men  because  of 
thee.  Why  dost  thou  blaspheme?"  And  Jesus  answered, 
and  said  to  Joseph,  "I  know  that  these  words  are  not  mine 
but  thine  own ;  but  I  will  hold  my  tongue  for  thy  sake ;  and 
let  them  see  to  it  in  their  wisdom.  No  one  is  a  wise  son  but 
he  to  whom  his  father  hath  taught  according  to  the 
knowledge  of  this  time ;  and  a  father's  curse  can  hurt  none 
but  evil-doers.  If  they  were  the  children  of  the  bride- 
chamber  they  would  not  receive  curses ;  tliese  will  not 
receive  torment.  Nevertheless,  for  thy  sake,  I  will  be  silent ; 
but  they  shall  bear  their  punishment."^  Then  they  came 
together  against  Joseph.  When  he  saw  this,  he  was  in  great 
terror,  fearing  the  violence  and  uproar  of  the  people  of 
Israel.  And,  immediately,  those  who  were  speaking  against 
Jesus  became  blind.^  And  they  walked  up  and  down,  and 
said,  "All  the  words  which  proceed  from  his  mouth  are 
accomplished."  And  those  who  saw  it  were  much  afraid. 
And  when  they  saw  that  Jesus  had  done  such  a  thing, 
Joseph,  who  had  been  sitting  in  his  seat,  and  the  child 
standing  before  him,  arose,  and  in  a  fury  seized  him  by  the 

^Probably     Ps.     xxxiii.9    was  above  what  is  practically  a  corn- 
present  to  the  mind  of  the  au-  bination  of  all  of  them, 
thor.  °A  punishment  more  than  once 

*This  speech  of  Christ  in  an-  recorded  in  this  Hterature.     In- 

swer  to  Joseph's  reproaches  dif-  cidents    in    the    Old    Testament 

fers  widely  in  the  various  docu-  that  might  suggest  it  are  numer- 

ments.      Some   of   the    speeches  ous,  e.  g.  Gen.  xix.ii;  II  Kings 

are,  I  think,  purposely  couched  vi.i8. 
in  obscure  terms.     I  have  given 


THE  DEAD  BOY  RAISED  145 

ear,  and  pinched  it  hard.^  And  the  child  was  very  angry, 
and  looked  at  Joseph  steadily,  and  said  to  him,  "It  is  enough 
for  thee  to  seek  and  not  to  find,  to  see  me,  and  not  to  touch 
me.  For  thou  knowest  not  who  I  am;  but  if  thou  didst 
know,  thou  wouldest  not  make  me  angry.  Although  just 
now  I  am  with  thee,  and  am  thine,  I  was  made  before  thee.^ 
It  is  enough  for  thee  to  command  me  and  control  me,  most 
certainly  thou  hast  acted  without  knowledge." 

And  the  same  hour  Jesus  seized  the  dead  boy  by  the  ear,  (2) 
and  lifted  him  up  from  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  all ;  and  they 
saw  Jesus  speaking  to  him  Hke  a  father  to  his  son.  And  his 
spirit  came  back  to  him,  and  he  revived.   And  all  of  them 
wondered.' 

Another  day  it  came  to  pass  that  our  Lord  was  looking  (n) 
at  an  old  woman  who  was  making  tiles  and  earthen  pots, 
and  she  spake  to  him  very  roughly,  saying,  "Get  away  from 
here,  bad  boy ;  art  thou  not  ashamed  to  loiter  here  ?"*  And 
when  the  old  woman  went  away  from  there,  our  Lord  took 
the  tiles  which  were  not  burnt,  and  broke  them  up  into  mere 
fragments.  And  when  the  old  woman  returned  to  her  work- 
shop, she  was  greatly  astonished,  and  particularly  when  she 
saw  that  the  work  was  destroyed  by  the  infant  Jesus.  So 
she   went   to   our  Lady,   crying  and  braying  like   a  mad 

^Evidently,   it  is  this   incident  to  be  but  an  attempt  of  a  me- 

that  is  referred  to  in  chap.  XIV,  diaeval    legend-monger   to    vary 

where  Joseph  asks  Christ's  for-  or  improve  upon  the  foregoing 

giveness;  but  a  different  tale  is  stories     of     how     Christ     made 

told  as  to  the  circumstances  un-  birds,  etc.,  out  of  clay.    I  do  not 

der  which  this  took  place.  think  the  tale  can  represent  any 

*See  John  viii.58.  other        unknown        apocryphal 

*This  paragraph  is  found  only  source.   All  the  rest  of  the  stories 

in   (2),  which  has  changed  Jo-  in   the   collection   are   from   the 

seph's  taking  Christ  by  the  ear  sources   which   I   have   used   in 

to  the  latter  thus  taking  the  boy  this  work.    Nevertheless,  I  think 

and  raising  him  up.  the  legend  of  sufficient  interest 

*This  story  is  taken  from  the  to  give  here.     It  contains  a  sug- 

Enfance       de       Notre-Seigneur,  gestion  of  the  humorous,  and  a 

Migne,   vol.    II,    col.   380.     It   is  strong   infusion   of   the   malevo- 

headed,   "How   the   Child  Jesus  lent  element  so  prominent  in  the 

Made  Earthen  Pots."    It  seems  Thomas  Gospels. 


146  DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES 

woman.  "O  Lady  Mary,"  said  the  old  woman,  ''thy  son 
Jesus  hath  done  me  very  great  injury."  "Do  not  believe  it," 
saith  Jesus,  "go  with  her  to  see  whether  she  telleth  the 
truth,"  Then  our  Lady^  took  her  child  by  the  hand,  and  said 
to  the  old  woman,  "Let  us  go  and  see,  my  dear,  what  this 
good  child  hath  done  to  thee.  For  if  injury  hath  been  done 
thee,  I  will  pay  well  for  it."  And  when  they  came  to  the 
workshop,  they  found  the  most  beautiful  pots  and  tiles  that 
ever  were  made,  nor  could  twelve  workmen  have  made  them 
in  fifteen  days.  Then  the  old  woman,  seeing  that,  knelt 
before  the  child  Jesus,  and  thanked  him. 
(n)  Now  the  child  Jesus  rose  up  one  morning,^  and  went 
walking  without  the  village,  along  the  river  f  and  he  stopped 
near  a  tile  factory  where  a  large  nuumber  of  workmen  were 
making  tiles  and  pots.  The  child  watched  them  working, 
and  wished  to  imitate  them.  And  the  tile  maker  said  to  him, 
"Who  art  thou,  who  art  so  full  of  grace  and  beauty  ?  Thou 
art  not  of  those  who  work  in  earthenware.  I  believe  that 
thou  art  a  noble  child,  thou  hast  that  face  and  appearance. 
Thou  appearest  to  be  of  a  noble  race,  and  to  come  of  very 
distinguished  parents.  I  pray  thee,  leave  us."  The  child 
Jesus  replied,  "I  will  not  do  so;"  and  he  stayed  with  the 
workmen  and  helped  them,  even  until  night  had  fallen.  And 
when  the  hour  for  going  home  had  come,  the  workmen, 
wishing  to  go,  and  surveying  their  work,  congratulated 
themselves  on  seeing  that  so  much  had  been  done  in  the  very 
best  manner.  They  had  accomplished  more  that  day  than 
in  the  five  preceding  ones.  And  the  wise  potter  said  to  his 
workmen,  "I  know  not  where  that  child  is  who  hath  aided 

'A  title  out  of  consonance  with  greatly    expanded    form    of   the 

apocryphal    matter,    of     course,  foregoing  story.    It  differs  widely 

but  (8)  constantly  applies  to  her  enough,  however,  to  be  worthy 

the  name  "Lady  Mary."  a  place  in  this  collection. 

^This  legend,  which  extends  to  ^The    writer    either    does    not 

the  close  of  this  chapter,  is  given  know,  or  does  not  care  to  ob- 

by  Migne,  vol.  II,  col.  232.    It  is  serve   the   geographical   proprie- 

from      L'Evangile      de      L'En-  ties  that  apply  to  the  situation  of 

fance,   in   Romance,    and   seems  Nazareth, 
to  be  but  a  more  elaborate  and 


STORY  OF  THE  TILE  FACTORY  147 

us  to-day.  We  have  been  very  much  at  fault  and  very  un- 
grateful, not  to  have  given  him  anything,  and  not  to  have 
invited  him  to  eat  with  us."  And  they  all  replied,  "If  we  are 
able  to  find  him  again,  we  will  all  show  our  gratitude  to 
him."  And  they  went  to  their  lodging,  well  pleased,  and 
very  happy  at  having  done  so  good  a  day's  work.  But  the 
child  Jesus  had  remained  hidden  in  the  tile  factory;  and 
when  the  workmen  had  gone,  he  began  to  break  all  the  work 
which  had  been  made  during  four  or  five  days — pots,  vessels, 
and  tiles,  nothing  remained  entire.  And  Jesus,  having 
broken  all,  went  home. 

Now  Joseph  was  seeking  the  child,  and  was  greatly  (n) 
troubled  about  him;^  for  the  night  was  already  black,  and 
he  was  not  able  to  find  him.  Joseph  wept  bitterly,  and  said, 
"What  shall  I  do,  unhappy  man  that  I  am?  Where  shall  I 
find  the  child?"  And  after  having  searched  much,  when  he 
was  overwhelmed  with  fatigue,  he  perceived  the  child  Jesus 
who  was  returning  toward  the  house.  And  he  took  him, 
and  brought  him  back  with  him.  And  when  our  Lady  saw 
Joseph,  who  was  bringing  back  her  dear  child,  she  expe- 
rienced the  greatest  joy.  And  then  our  Lady  asked  him, 
very  gently  and  with  great  humility,  "My  son,  where  hast 
thou  been  upon  this  dark  night.  If  someone  hath  given  thee 
lodging,  I  pray  thee  to  tell  me  of  it."  The  child  replied, 
"This  morning  I  rose  up,  and  wished  to  go  walking  without 
the  city ;  and  in  passing  along  the  river,  I  entered  into  a  tile 
factory  where  there  were  many  workmen  who  were  making 
tiles  and  pots."  Our  Lady  then  asked  him,  "My  son,  dost 
thou  wish  to  lie  down?"  And  he  replied,  "I  wish  to  dine; 
for  I  have  not  eaten  anything  all  day."  Then  said  our  Lady, 
"My  son,  those  whom  thou  didst  help  to-day  were  very  rude 
in  that  they  did  not  give  thee  anything."  Jesus  replied, 
"They  did  not  give  me  anything,  and  they  did  not  ask  me  to 
eat  with  them."  And  the  child  Jesus  ate  and  drank,  and 
then  lay  down  to  rest. 

Now  the  master  of  the  tile  factory  rose  up  early,  and  went  (n) 

Paragraph  continues  L'Evangile  de  L'Enfance. 


148  DESTRUCTIVE  MIRACLES 

to  his  work,  taking  with  him  a  large  number  of  workmen.* 
He  expected  to  find  the  work  as  he  had  left  it,  but  saw  that 
nothing  remained  whole,  neither  vessels,  tiles,  nor  pots. 
Then  he  began  to  cry,  "What  shall  I  do,  and  to  whom  shall 
I  apply?  Who  hath  done  me  so  great  an  injury  in  thus 
breaking  all  that  I  have  manufactured?  He  might  better 
have  killed  me."  The  potter  was,  therefore,  filled  with 
chagrin  and  anger  at  seeing  the  works  in  such  a  pitiable 
condition;  then  he  said  to  the  workmen,  'T  will  tell  you 
what  I  think,  I  suspect  the  child  who  helped  us  of  having 
made  all  this  havoc,  because  he  was  angry  that  we  gave  him 
nothing."  All  the  workmen  replied,  "It  is  quite  possible ;  we 
have  done  very  badly  in  respect  to  this  child  in  not  giving 
him  anything,  and  that  is  assuredly  the  reason  for  which 
we  find  an  equal  recompence  on  his  part." 
(ji)  Then  a  wise  Jew  spake,  and  said,  "Master,  if  thou 
wouldest  find  him,  I  would  advise  thee  to  go  to  Joseph,  and 
tell  him  of  the  loss  and  great  damage  that  his  child  hath 
brought  upon  thee."^  They  all  replied,  "Master,  thou  sayest 
well;  let  us  go  at  once."  They  went,  then,  and  presented 
themselves  before  Joseph,  whom  they  saluted;  and  Joseph 
likewise  saluted  them ;  then  he  said  to  them,  "Masters,  what 
do  ye  wish?"  They  replied,  "Master,  we  have  come  to  tell 
thee  as  followeth."  Then  Joseph  thought  that  the  child 
had  done  something  wrong,  and  the  master  tiler,  speaking, 
said,  "Master  Joseph,  hear  us.  Thy  son  Jesus  came  to  the 
tile  factory;  he  helped  us  willingly,  but  finally  made  us  pay 
very  dearly  for  the  service  that  he  rendered  us ;  for  of  all  our 
work  nothing  remaineth  whole,  neither  pots,  tiles,  nor 
vessels."  Then  said  Joseph,  "Master,  I  shall  be  very  much 
surprised  if  it  is  our  child  who  hath  thus  spoiled  all  your 
work."  The  tiler  responded,  "As  God  shall  help  me,  know, 
master  Joseph,  that  not  for  any  consideration  in  the  world 
would  I  tell  thee  what  is  false."  Then  Joseph  said  to  the 
tiler,  "Let  us  go  together  to  the  tile  factory,  and  we  shall 

^Paragraph  continues  L'Evan-  *Ibid. 

gile  de  L'Enfance. 


THE  BROKEN  VESSELS  RESTORED        149 

see  whether  the  child  hath  done  as  thou  sayest."   They  all 
said,  "Let  us  go  very  willingly." 

And  they  went  first,  in  order  to  be  able  to  point  out  to  (n) 
Joseph  the  havoc  which  had  been  wrought.  The  tiler  has- 
tened to  see  the  things ;  and  what  was  his  astonishment  when 
he  perceived  all  the  work  in  perfect  condition !  Vessels,  tiles, 
and  pots  were  intact  as  before.  And  Joseph  then  said, 
"Masters,  what  do  ye  wish  me  to  do,  since  your  work  is 
whole?  Ye  seem  to  have  wanted  to  jest  and  make  sport  of 
me.  It  is  an  evil  deed  that  ye  have  thus  done,  and  I  should 
be  justified  in  going  to  complain  to  the  judge. "^  The  master 
tiler  replied,  "Master  Joseph,  I  beseech  thee,  have  pity  upon 
me,  deign  to  pardon  me  in  thy  great  goodness."  Joseph 
replied,  "May  God  pardon  thee ;  for  He  is  better  able  to  do 
it  than  L"  And  the  tiler  went  to  his  house,  and  all  his  work- 
men did  the  same ;  and  they  were  full  of  joy  and  satisfaction, 
for  their  work  was  done. 

^Paragraph  continues  L'Evan-  vengeful,    but    here    makes    Jo- 

gile  de  L'Enfance.     Notice  that  seph  hypocritical  and  unforgiv- 

the  author  of  this  story  not  alone  ing.      The     story     furnishes     a 

does    not    hesitate    to    represent  strong  indictment  of  the  morals 

Christ    as    malevolent    and    re-  of  the  Middle  Ages. 


14 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  CHILD  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS. 

Zaccheus  wishes  to  instruct  Christ — Christ's  Reply 
— The  Jews  marvel — Christ's  Discourse — Levi 
teaches  the  Hebrew  Letters — Is  convicted  of 
Ignorance — Christ  teaches  the  Mysteries  of  the 
Letters — Levi  abashed — Christ  raises  the  Afflict- 
ed— A  Third  Master  teaches  the  Greek  Letters — 
Strikes  Christ — Falls  Dead — A  Fourth  Master — 
Christ  reads  Wonders  from  the  Book — The  Dead 
Master  raised. 

Main  Sources:  (2)— Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  30,  31,  38,  39. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  48,  49. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  6,  12,  13. 
(12) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  First  Greek  Form,  6-8,  14, 

IS- 
(13) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Second  Greek  Form,  6,  7. 
(14) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form,  5-7,  12,  13. 

(2)      Now  a  certain  Jewish  schoolmaster,  Zaccheus^  by  name, 

>j°(  standing  in  a  certain  place,  and  hearing  Jesus   speaking 
(i-j) 

(14)      '■'■  ^^'^^  used,  throughout,  this  the  Marcosians.   He  does  not  give 

current    form    of   the    scriptural  the  name  of  the  teacher.     In  the 

name    evidently    here    intended.  Gemara  Babyl.  ad  Sanhedrin,  the 

Dififerent  versions  of  the  docu-  name  of  the  teacher  of  Christ  is 

ments  used  give  Zachyas,  Zach-  given  as  Joshua  the  son  of  Pe- 

ias,   Zachameus,   Zacheus,   Zach-  rachia.    It  is  told  that  he,  with 

aeus.     Irenaeus,     Against     Her-  Christ,  fled  to  Alexandria.    The 

esies,  bk.   I,  chap.   20,  mentions  Toledoth    Jeschu    says    that   the 

this    story   of   Christ's    learning  name    of   the   teacher    was    El- 

His  letters,  which  he  calls  "false  kana.       Kessaeus,     Sike,     n.     p. 

and  wicked,"  and  attributes  to  (68),    says    that    Mary    urged 

(150) 


THE  TEACHER  ZACCHEUS  151 

1/ 
boldly^  to  his  father ;  seeing  also  that  he  could  not  be  over- 
come from  knowing  the  power  that  w^as  in  him,^  in  great 
astonishment  said  to  himself,  "Such  a  boy,  speaking  in  this 
way,  I  have  never  seen."  And  he  said  to  him,  "O  thou 
naughty  boy !"  And  a  few  days  after,  he  came  to  Joseph, 
and  became  angry;  and  began  rudely  and  foolishly  and 
without  fear  to  speak  against  Joseph.  And  he  said,  "Dost 
thou  not  wish  to  entrust  me  with  thy  son,  that  he  may  be 
instructed  in  human  learning  and  in  reverence,  to  love 
children  of  his  own  age,  and  to  honour  old  age?  But  I  see 
that  Mary  and  thyself  have  more  regard  for  your  son  than 
for  what  the  elders  of  the  people  of  Israel  say  against  him. 
Ye  should  have  given  more  honour  to  us,  the  elders  of  the 
whole  church  of  Israel,  both  that  he  might  be  on  terms  of 
mutual  affection  with  the  children,  and  that  among  us  he 
might  be  instructed  in  Jewish  learning.  Thou  hast  a  sensible 
boy,  and  he  hath  some  mind.  Give  him  to  me,  then,  that 
he  may  learn  letters ;  and  I  shall  teach  him,  along  with  the 
letters,  all  knowledge,  both  how  to  address  all  the  elders, 
and  to  honour  them  as  forefathers  and  fathers,  and  how  to 
love  those  of  his  own  age.  And  I  shall  teach  him  the  scrip- 
tures, and  I  shall  persuade  him  to  bless  all,  and  not  to  curse. 

Christ  to  attend  school,  but  He  a  proof  of  this.  What  more  nat- 
repHed  that  God  had  provided  ural,  then,  than  this  story  giving 
that  He  should  need  no  precep-  proof  of  hterary  acquirements 
tor,  because  He  had  taught  Him  without  study?  For  account  of 
the  law  and  the  Gospel  when  He  alleged  writings  by  Christ,  see 
was  in  His  mother's  womb.  But  chaps.  XVH,  XX. 
Mary  answered,  that  neverthe-  ^I  have  inserted  this  word  in 
less  she  thought  it  better  for  Him  the  text.  The  connection  is,  that 
to  go  to  school  and  learn  some-  Zaccheus  heard  Christ  speaking 
thing.  The  two  passages  in  to  Joseph  as  narrated  in  the  par- 
John's  Gospel,  vii.15  and  viii.6,  agraph  of  the  last  chapter  where 
are  amply  sufficient  to  account  it  is  recorded  that  the  latter 
for  these  legends  of  Christ  and  seized  Jesus  by  the  ear. 
His  teachers,  whether  amongst  ^This  might  also  be  read, 
heretics  or  Catholics.  The  Jews  "seeing  that  there  was  in  him 
marvelled  that  Jesus  knew  let-  an  insuperable  knowledge  of  vir- 
ters,  never  having  learned,  and  tue." 
His  writing  on  the  ground  gave 


152  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS 

And  when  he  hath  thoroughly  learned  his  letters,  I  shall 
teach  him  honourably,  so  that  he  may  be  no  fool."  Joseph,  on 
the  other  hand,  said  to  him,  "And  is  there  any  one  who  can 
keep  this  child,  and  teach  him?  Dost  thou  suppose  that  he 
is  deserving  of  a  small  cross?  But  if  thou  canst  keep  him 
and  teach  him,  we  by  no  means  hinder  him  from  being 
taught  by  thee  those  things  which  are  learned  by  all.  Thou 
dost  not  believe  that  this  little  boy  will  be  of  no  consequence  ? 
No  one  can  teach  him  but  God  alone."^ 
(2)  And  Jesus,  having  heard  what  Zaccheus  had  said, 
>j°<  laughed,  and  said  to  him,  answering,  "The  precepts  of  the 
(14)  law  which  thou  hast  just  spoken  of,  and  all  the  things  which 
thou  hast  named,  must  be  kept  by  those  who  are  instructed 
in  human  learning;  but  I  am  a  stranger  to  your  law  courts, 
because  I  have  no  father  after  the  flesh.  Honour  in  the 
flesh,  I  have  not."^  Then  said  he  to  Joseph,  "Thou  art  in  the 
law  and  in  the  law  abidest;  for  when  thou  wast  born,  I 
was;^  but  thou  supposest  thou  art  my  father.  Thou  shalt 
learn  from  me  instruction  which  no  other  man  knoweth, 
nor  is  able  to  learn,  and  the  cross  which  thou  didst  speak  of, 
he  shall  bear  whose  it  is.  For  when  I  am  greatly  exalted  I 
will  lay  aside  whatever  is  mingled  in  your  nature ;  for  thou 
knowest  not  whence  thou  art ;  for  I  alone  know  truly  when 
ye  and  your  fathers'  fathers  were  born,  and  how  long  time 
ye  have  to  remain  here.*     And  thou  who  readest  the  law, 

^Much   of   the   redundancy   of  — Greek     letters.       4.  Unnamed 

language    in   this   paragraph,   as  teacher — Christ  teaches  from  the 

well  as  throughout  the  chapter,  book.       (2),     (10),     (12),    and 

is  of  course  due  to  the  fact  that  (14)  have  all  four  of  these  ac- 

I   have   here   combined   six   ac-  counts;    (13)    has  the  first  and 

counts   of   the   same   events.     I  second;  and  (8),  the  second  and 

have  tried  to  omit  nothing  from  third, 

any  of  them  that  seemed  to  have  ^Cf.   Mat.   xiii.S7,   etc. 

any  real  significance.     There  are  ^Cf.  John  viii.58. 

in  the  documents  four  accounts  *With    this    sentence,    Christ's 

of      Christ's      encounters    with  speech  begins  to  be  addressed  to 

teachers :      i.  With       Zaccheus.  the  Jews  and  to  Zaccheus  in  par- 

2.  With   Zaccheus   or  Levi — the  ticular     instead    of    Joseph,     as 

Hebrew  letters.      3.    With  un-  shown  in  the  following  sentence, 
named  master  who  is  struck  dead 


CHRIST  CONFOUNDS  ZACCHEUS  153 

and  art  learned  in  it,  thou  abidest  in  the  law ;  but  I  was  be- 
fore the  law ;  for  I  am  apart  with  you,  and  dwell  within  you. 
Thou  sayest  that  thou  knowest,  but  I  know  more  than  thoir. 
But  since  thou  thinkest  that  no  one  is  equal  to  thee  in  learn- 
ing, thou  shalt  be  taught  by  me  that  no  other  can  teach 
anything  but  those  things  which  thou  hast  named.  But  he 
alone  can  who  is  worthy.^  For  when  I  shall  be  exalted  on 
earth,  I  will  cause  to  cease  all  mention  of  your  genealogy. 
And  I  know  how  many  years  of  life  thou  wilt  have,  and  that 
thou  wilt  be  carried  into  exile.^  And  indeed,  master,  my 
Father  hath  appointed  this  that  thou  mayest  understand  that 
whatever  proceedeth  from  my  mouth  is  true.  Before  all,  I 
was  Lord,^  but  ye  are  foreigners.  To  me  hath  been  given 
the  glory  of  the  ages  ;*  to  you  hath  been  given  nothing, 
because  I  am  before  the  ages." 

Then  the  Jews,   and   all   who   standing  by  heard   these  (2) 

words,  were  struck  with  astonishment,  and  cried  out,  "Oh!  y^( 

(13) 
Oh!  Oh!  this  marvellously  great  and  wonderful  mystery.  (14) 

Never  have  we  heard  the  like !     Never  hath  it  been  heard 

from  anyone  else,  nor  hath  it  been  said  or  at  any  time  heard 

by  the  prophets,  or  the  Pharisees,  or  the  scribes.     We  know 

whence  he  is  sprung,  and  he  is  scarcely  five  years  old  f  and 

whence    doth    he    speak    these    words?"     The    Pharisees 

answered,  "We  have  never  heard  such  words  spoken  by  any 

other  child  so  young."      And  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to 

them,  "At  this  do  ye  wonder,  that  such  things  are  said  by 

a  child?     Why,  then,  do  ye  not  believe  me  in  those  things 

which  I  have  said  to  you  ?     Do  ye  consider  it  incredible  that 

^Tischendorf     says     that     the  Jerusalem,  which  occurred  just 

text  is  corrupt  here.    The  mean-  about   a   century   after   this    as- 

ing  seems  to  be :   "You  are  not  a  sumed  time.     The  circumstance 

whit  better  than  your  neighbours ;  furnishes    a    fair   illustration    of 

for  all   of  you  teach  what  you  the_  attention  paid  to  the  proprie- 

have  named,  and  you  can  teach  ties   of  time  by   the  apocryphal 

nothing  else.     But  he  alone  who  writers, 

is  worthy,  i.  e.  Christ,  can  teach  ^Cf.  John  i.1-3. 

you  more."  *Ci.  John  ii.ii  and  many  othe 

*The    author    here    must    be  passages, 

thinking   of   the    destruction   of  ^Cf.  John  viii.s/. 


154  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS 

I  speak  the  truth?  And  do  ye  wonder  because  I  said  to 
you  that  I  know  when  you  and  your  fathers  were  born? 
I  will  tell  you  greater  things,  that  ye  may  wonder  more.  I 
have  seen  Abraham,  whom  ye  call  your  father,  and  have 
spoken  with  him ;  and  he  hath  seen  me.^  Assuredly  I  know 
when  the  world  was  created.  Behold,  ye  do  not  believe 
me  now.  When  ye  see  my  cross,  then  will  ye  believe  that 
I  speak  the  truth.  I  know  also  who  sent  me  to  you."^ 
And  when  the  Jews  heard  the  words  which  the  child  had 
spoken,  they  wondered,  because  they  were  not  able  to  an- 
swer. They  held  their  tongues,  nor  did  any  of  them  dare 
to  speak.  And  communing  with  himself,  the  child  exulted, 
and  said  to  them,  'T  have  told  you  a  proverb;  and  I  know 
that  ye  are  weak  and  ignorant.  I  have  been  among  you 
with  children,  and  ye  have  not  known  me ;  I  have  spoken  to 
you  as  wise  men,  and  ye  have  not  understood  my  words; 
because  ye  are  younger^  than  I  am,  and  of  little  faith." 
(2)  A  second  time,  the  master  Zaccheus,  doctor  of  the  law, 
(^)  said  to  Joseph  and  Mary,  "Give  me  thy  boy,  and  I  shall  hand 
(12)  him  over  to  Master  Levi,*  who  shall  teach  him  the  letters 
^^3)  and  instruct  him."  Then  Joseph  and  Mary,  soothing 
Jesus,  took  him  to  the  schools  where  other  boys  were 
taught,^  that  he  might  be  taught  his  letters  by  old  Levi. 
And  as  soon  as  he  went  in,  he  held  his  tongue.  And  the 
master  Levi  said  to  him  all  the  letters  from  Aleph  even  to 

^John  viii.56-58.  private  school  in  connection  with 

*John  iv.34,   etc.  a  synagogue.    Cowper  translates 

^Literally,  "inferior  to  me."  from    Antoninus    of    Placentia, 

*This  name  is  given  only  by  about   570,   an   account   of  how 

(2).     All   the   other   documents  he   went   to   Nazareth   and   saw 

represent    Zaccheus    himself    as  "many  marvels."  "Also  there  lies 

having    made    this    second    at-  in    the    synagogue   the   book    in 

tempt,  and  (8),  which  gives  this  which  the  Lord  had  put  A,  B, 

incident    as     the     first     attempt  C.     In  the  synagogue  also  there 

made    to    teach    Christ    letters,  is  the  beam  where  the  Lord  sat 

says  that  it  was  at  Jerusalem.  with    the    other    children;    this 

"There  were  at  this  time  pub-  beam   is   moved   and   raised   by 

lie  schools  in  some  of  the  larger  Christians,  but  Jews  can  in  no 

cities.    The  reference  here,  how-  "wise  move  it,  nor  does  it  allow 

ever,  plainly  seems  to  be  to  a  itself  to  be  carried  out." 


CHRIST  AND  LEVI  155 

Tau/  with  great  exactness;  and  as  he  said  each  letter,  be- 
ginning with  Aleph,  he  said  to  Jesus,  "Answer."  But  he 
was  silent,  and  answered  nothing.  Wherefore  the  pre- 
ceptor Levi  was  angry,  and  threatened  to  flog  him ;  and 
seized  his  storax  tree^  rod,  and  struck  him  on  the  head. 
And  Jesus  said  to  the  teacher  Levi,  "Why  dost  thou  strike 
me?  A  blacksmith's  anvil  when  it  is  beaten  receiveth  cor- 
rection and  doth  not  feel.  Thou  shalt  know  in  truth  that 
he  who  is  struck  can  teach  him  who  striketh  him  more  than 
he  can  be  taught  by  him.  For  I  can  teach  thee  those  very 
things  which  thou  art  saying.  But  all  these  are  blind,  who 
speak  and  hear  like  sounding  brass  or  tinkling  cymbal,^  in 
which  there  is  no  perception  of  those  things  which  are  meant 
by  their  sound." 

And  Jesus  in  addition  looked  upon  the  teacher,  and  said,  (2) 
"Thou  hypocrite,  thou  art  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  Aleph,  S°^^ 
how  canst  thou  teach  others  the  Beth?     For  every  letter,  (12) 
from  Aleph  even  to  Tau,^  is  known  by  its  arrangement.    Say  i^^} 
thou  first,  therefore,  what  Tau  is,  and  I  will  tell  thee  what 
Aleph  is."     Then  he,  beginning  the  line,  said  the  letters 
from  Aleph,  Beth,  Gimel,  Daleth  on  to  Tau,  in  full,  very 
fast,  and  with  clearness  and  great  exactness.     And  when 
he  began  to  tell  and  question  the  teacher  about  the  first  let- 
ter, he  was  unable  to  give  any  answer.     And  in  the  hearing 
of  many,  the  child  began  to  ask  the  names  of  the  letters  one 
by  one,  and  to  say  to  Levi,  "Hear,  O  teacher,  the  order  of 
the  first  letter,  and  notice  here  how  it  hath  lines,  and  a  mid- 
dle stroke  crossing  those  which  thou  seest  common;  lines 
brought  together,  the  highest  part  supporting  them,  and 
again  bringing  them  under  one  head ;  with  three  points  of 
intersection ;  of  the  same  kind ;  principal  and  subordinate ; 

^(12)   says  here,  "from  Alpha  uct  is  referred  to  in  Ecclesiasti- 

to  Omega,"  but  the  older  docu-  cus  xxiv.15. 

ments  represent  the  Hebrew  let-  'See  I  Cor.  xiii.i ;  xiv.7. 

ters  as  taught.  *(2)   says  "Thet"  in  the  place 

*The  storax  is   still  abundant  of  Tau;    it  may  be  that  the  au- 

in   Palestine.    This   tree   is   not  thor  thinks  Teth  the  last  letter 

mentioned  in  the  canonical  scrip-  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet, 
tures,  but  its  odoriferous  prod- 


156 


CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS 


of  equal  length.^  Let  the  master  tell  us  what  Aleph  is; 
why  it  hath  so  many  triangles,  gradate,  subacute,  mediate, 
obduced,  produced,  erect,  prostrate,  curvistrate.^  See  how 
it  hath  two  lines,  advancing  in  the  middle,  standing  still, 
giving,  scattering,  varying,  threatening;  triple  intermingled 
with  double ;  at  the  same  time  homogeneous,  having  all  com- 
mon."^ And  the  Lord  Jesus  explained  to  him  the  meanings 
of  the  letters  Aleph  and  Beth;  also  which  figures  of  the 
letter  were  straight,  which  crooked,  which  drawn  round 
into  a  spiral,  which  marked  with  points,  which  without 
them,  and  why  one  letter  went  before  another.* 


^This  passage  from  (13)  is 
certainly  obscure,  and  the  ex- 
planation is  by  different  writers 
referred  to  the  A  of  the  He- 
brew, the  Greek,  or  the  Arme- 
nian alphabets.  It  seems  to  suit 
best  the  old  Phoenician  A, 
which  had  the  form  ^^  or  "^ 

This  collection  of  epithets 
from  (2)  certainly  refers  pri- 
marily to  the  Pentalpha,  Penta- 
cle,  or  Solomon's  Seal,  celebrat- 
ed in  the  magical  books  that 
have  come  down  under  the 
names  of  Hermes  and  the  Pyth- 
jigoreans.  It  was  formed  by 
joining  by  straight  lines  the  al- 
ternate angles  of  a  pentagon.  It 
is  called  the  Hygeia,  or  symbol 
of  health,  and  is  still  used  in 
some  of  the  Masonic  degrees,  as 
a  symbol  of  power,  it  is  said. 

^The  text  of  this  passage  from 
(10)  is  very  corrupt,  and  prob- 
ably these  words  have  no  real 
meaning.  This  document  shows 
evidence  of  constant  mistransla- 
tions  from   the   Greek   original. 

*This  is  the  effort  made  by 
(8)  to  set  forth  some  of  the 
mysteries  which  Christians,  as 
well  as  Jews,  long  believed  to 


reside  in  the  letters  of  the  alpha- 
bet. The  Jews  believed  that 
their  letters  were  discovered  by 
Adam  and  handed  down  to  Seth. 
In  the  Talacha  Tephillin,  of  R. 
Mardochai  Japhe,  will  be  found 
a  complete  mystical  interpreta- 
tion of  them,  and  there  are  a 
number  of  such  treatises.  Kes- 
saeus,  Sike  n.  p.  (68),  follow- 
ing the  account  which  I  have 
already  given,  represents  Christ 
as  giving  to  the  teacher  a  com- 
plete mystical  interpretation  of 
the  Arabic  alphabet.  I  trans- 
late and  abbreviate,  following 
that :  When  Mary  had  brought 
Jesus  to  the  teacher  and  asked 
him  to  teach  her  son,  he  said  to 
him,  "Come  hither,  O  boy."  But 
Jesus  said,  "I  see,  O  teacher, 
that  thou  art  foolish;  for  it  is 
not  becoming  for  thee  to  be  ig- 
norant of  the  name  of  a  boy  be- 
fore thou  beginnest  to  teach  him, 
so  that  thou  canst  call  him." 
Then  the  teacher  asked  and 
learned  Christ's  name,  and  began 
by  commanding  Him  to  say, 
"Bismi  'llahi  'rrahmani  'rrahim," 
"in  the  name  of  God  the 
most  merciful,"    After  this  he 


LEVI  IS  HUMILIATED  157 

And  when  the  teacher  Levi  heard  the  child  speaking  (2) 
such  and  so  great  allegories  of  the  first  letter,  and  oi;  the  ^^^ 
arrangement  of  the  names  of  the  letters,  he  was  thunder-  (12) 
struck  and  at  a  great  loss  about  such  a  narrative,  and  about  (^3) 
his  teaching ;  and  he  was  stupefied  about  such  a  human  being 
and  such  learning,  and  at  his  elucidating  and  recounting 
many  other  things  which  the  master  himself  had  never  either 
heard  or  read  in  any  book.  Then  he  began  in  the  hearing  of 
all  to  cry  out,  and  say,  "Ought  such  an  one  to  live  on  the 
earth  ?  Yea,  he  ought  to  be  hung  on  the  great  cross.  For  he 
can  tame  fire,  and  bridle  the  sea,  and  make  sport  of  other 
modes  of  punishment.  I  think  that  he  lived  before  the  flood, 
and  was  born  before  the  deluge.^  For  what  womb  bare  him  ? 
or  what  mother  brought  him  forth?  or  what  breasts  gave 
him  suck?  I  flee  before  him;  I  am  not  able  to  withstand 
the  words  from  his  mouth,  but  my  heart  is  astonished  to 
hear  such  words.  I  do  not  think  any  man  can  understand 
what  he  saith,  except  God  were  with  him.  Alas !  I  unfor- 
tunate wretch  that  I  am,  am  at  a  loss,  bringing  shame  upon 
myself;  and  have  given  myself  up  to  be  a  laughing-stock  to 
him,  by  having  dragged  this  child  hither.  Take  him  away, 
then,  I  beseech  thee,  brother  Joseph;  I  cannot  endure  the 

asks  Christ  to  repeat  after  him  ilar  story  is  tolO.  of  the  Xacam 

the  names  of  the  Arabic  letters,  of    the    Thibetans,    by    August, 

which  He  refuses  io  do  unless  Georgius  in  his  Thibetan  Alpha- 

the  Teacher  will  tell  Him  what  bet.    He   knew  all   things   from 

they  mean.     This  he  cannot  do,  his    mother's    womb,    and    once 

and    Christ   finally   teaches   him  repeated    five    hundred    different 

the   mystical   meaning   of   each.  alphabets  to  a  teacher  who   at- 

Thus  Elif  is,  "There  is  no  God  tempted  to  teach  him  the  letters, 

but  God;"    Be  is,  "the  beauty  of  An    interesting    magical    prayer 

God,"  etc.     At  the  end  of  this,  used  to  enable  a  child  to  learn 

the   master   takes    Jesus   by   the  his  letters  is  given  by  Vassiliev, 

hand  and   leads   Him   to   Mary,  p.  342.    This  contains  the  names 

saying,  "Here,  take  thy  son  who  of    the    ivventy-four    elders    in 

hath   taught   me    what    I    knew  heaven,  corresponding,  of  course, 

not;   for  He  is  the  wisest  of  all  to  the  twenty-four  letters  of  the 

mortals."     A  similar  legend,  in  Greek  alphabet, 
which  Jesus  explains  the  Arme-         H8)    says,   "was   born  before 

nian  alphabet,  is  given  in  Char-  Noah." 
din's  Travels  in  Persia,    A  sim- 


158  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS 

sternness  of  his  look,  nor  hear  his  mighty  words.  For 
when  I  thought  I  had  a  scholar,  I,  not  knowing  him,  have 
found  my  master.  What  shall  I  say?  I  cannot  withstand 
the  words  of  this  child;  I  shall  now  flee  from  this  town, 
because  I  cannot  understand  them.  An  old  man  like  me 
hath  been  beaten  by  a  boy,  because  I  can  find  neither  begin- 
ning nor  end  of  what  he  saith,  and  cannot  make  out  his 
meaning  at  all.  For  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  find  a  beginning 
of  himself.^  I  tell  you  of  a  certainty,  I  am  not  lying,  that 
'to  my  eyes  the  proceedings  of  this  boy,  the  commencement 
of  his  conversation,  and  the  upshot  of  his  intention  seem 
to  have  nothing  in  common  with  mortal  man.  Here,  then, 
I  know  not  whether  he  be  a  wizard  or  a  god ;  or  at  least  an 
angel  of  God  speaketh  in  him.-  Whence  is  he,  or  where  he 
cometh  from,  or  who  he  will  turn  out  to  be,  I  know  not. 
There  is  nothing  for  me  but  despondency  and  death  on 
account  of  this  boy,  for  I  am  not  able  at  this  hour  to  look 
him  in  the  face.  All  I  have  to  do  is  to  fall  into  some  griev- 
ous illness,  and  depart  from  this  world." 
(2)  Then  Jesus,  smiling  at  him  with  a  joyful  countenance, 
y°}^  laughed  aloud,  and  said  in  a  commanding  voice  to  all  the 
(14)  sons  of  Israel,  when  they  were  standing  by  and  hearing  and 
encouraging  Levi,  "'Let  the  unfruitful  bring  forth  fruit, 
and  the  blind  see  the  living  fruit  of  the  judge,^  and  the  lame 
walk  right,  and  the  poor  enjoy  the  good  things  of  this  life,* 
and  the  dead  through  me  rise  again,  that  each  may  return 
to  his  original  state,  and  abide  in  him  who  is  the  root  of  life 
and  of  perpetual  sweetness.  I  am  here  from  above,  that  I 
may  curse  them,  and  call  iliem  to  the  things  that  are  above, 
as  He  that  sent  me  on  your  account  hath  commanded  me. 
And  those  who  are  exalted,  let  me  call  to  still  higher  things." 
And  when  the  child  Jesus  had  said  this,  forthwith  all  who 

'j.  e.   It  is  not  wonderful  that         ^The   meaning   of   the   Syriac 

we  do  not  understand  what  he  here  may  be:    "Let  the  fruitless 

says,  for  we  do  not  know  what  be    fruitful,   and   the   blind    see 

he  is.  the  living  fruit  of  judgment." 

'These   two    sentences   appear         *Cf.  Mat.  xi.5. 
to  be  Docetic  in  teaching. 


CHRIST  AND  THE  GREEK  LETTERS        159 

had  fallen  under  malignant  diseases  were  restored,  and  all 
were  made  whole  who  were  affected  with  any  infirmity, 
having  fallen  under  his  curse  through  his  words.  And  they 
did  not  dare  to  make  him  angry,  or  to  say  anything  more  to 
him,  or  to  hear  anything  from  him,  lest  he  should  curse 
them,  and  they  should  be  maimed. 

And  it  came  to  pass  a  second^  time  that  Joseph  and  Mary  (2) 
were  asked  by  the  people  that  Jesus  should  be  taught  his  ^^) 
letters  in  school.  And  Joseph,  seeing  that  the  child  was  (12) 
vigorous  in  mind  and  body ;  and  that  he  had  such  favour,  and  ^^4) 
was  increasing  in  stature,  again  resolved  that  he  should  not 
remain  ignorant  of  the  letters.  And  according  to  the  com- 
mandment of  the  elders,  they  took  him  to  another  and  more 
learned  master  to  be  instructed  in  human  learning.  And 
the  teacher  said  to  Joseph,  "What  dost  thou  wish  me  to 
teach  that  boy?"  Joseph  answered,  and  said,  "First  teach 
him  the  Greek  letters,  and  then  the  Hebrew."-  For  the 
teacher  was  aware  of  the  trial  that  had  been  made  of  the 
child,  and  was  afraid  of  him.  Nevertheless,  he  wrote  out 
the  alphabet,  and  began  to  teach  him  in  an  imperious  tone, 
saying,  "Say  Alpha,"  And  he  gave  the  child  his  attention 
for  a  long  time,  and  he  made  no  answer,  but  was  silent. 
And  when  Jesus  had  said  Alpha,  the  master  ordered  him 
to  pronounce  Beta.  Then  the  Lord  Jesus  answered  him, 
and  said,  "If  thou  art  really  a  teacher,  and  art  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  letters,  tell  me  the  power  of  Alpha,  and  I 
will  tell  thee  the  power  of  Beta."^     Then  his  master  was 

^Really  the  third  time.  The  point  of  this  miracle,  which  is 
Thomas  Gospels,  which  are  the  but  a  repetition  of  the  foregoing, 
originals  of  these  accounts,  rep-  with  the  added  teaching,  that 
resent  the  two  foregoing  at-  even  as  Christ  miraculously 
tempts  to  teach  Jesus,  to  have  knew  all  about  His  own  Ian- 
been  made  by  Zaccheus,  and  to  guage,  so  did  He  know  all  about 
be  substantially  but  one.  the  Gentile  tongue,  and  inferen- 
ces) here  differs  from  all  the  tially,  about  all  other  languages, 
rest  in  having  the  master  at-  ^All  this  is  an  almost  exact 
tempt  to  teach  only  the  Hebrew  repetition  of  the  story  about  the 
letters.  In  all  the  rest,  the  Hebrew  alphabet. 
Greek  are  used.   Herein  lies  the 


i6o  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TEACHERS 

filled  with  fury,  and  raised  his  hand  and  flogged  him,  and 
struck  him  on  the  head.     And  the  child,  being  in  pain,  cursed 
him;  and  immediately  his  hand  dried  up,^  and  he  swooned 
away,  and  fell  to  the  ground  on  his  face,  dead. 
(2)      And  the  child  went  home  again  to  his  mother,  and  re- 
S^}  turned  to  Joseph's  house.     And  Joseph,  being  afraid,  called 
(12)  Mary  to  him,  and  said  to  her,  "Know  of  a  surety  that  my 
^^4)  soul  is  sorrowful  even  unto  death  on  account  of  this  child. 
For  it  is  very  likely  that  at  some  time  or  another  some  one 
will  strike  him  in  malice,  and  he  will  die."     And  Joseph 
gave  orders  to  his  mother,  saying,  "Do  not  let  him  go  out- 
side the  door,  because  those  that  make  him  angry  die."     But 
Mary  answered,  and  said,  "O  man  of  God,  do  not  believe 
that  this  is  possible.     Thou  mayest  believe  to  a  certainty 
that  He  who  hath  sent  him  to  be  born  among  men  will  Him- 
self guard  him  from  all  mischief,  and  will  in  His  own  name 
preserve  him  from  all  evil." 
(2)      Again  the  Jews  asked  Mary  and  Joseph  a  third-  time  to 

i^'^}  coax  him  to  go  to  another  master  to  learn.     And  Joseph  and 

(12) 

(14)  Mary  fearing  the  people,  and  the  overbearing  of  the  princes, 

and  the  threats  of  the  priests,  led  him  again  to  school,  know- 
ing that  he  could  learn  nothing  from  man,  because  he  had 
perfect  knowledge  from  God  only.  For  after  some  time, 
another  master  again,  a  true  friend  of  Joseph,  said  to  him, 
"Bring  the  child  to  my  school ;  with  much  sweetness  will  I 
teach  him,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to  flatter  him  into 
learning  his  letters."  And  Joseph  said,  "If  thou  hast  the 
courage,  brother,  take  him  with  thee."  And  he  took  him 
with  him  in  fear  and  great  agony,  and  held  him  with  exul- 
tation; but  the  child  went  along  pleasantly.  And  when  he 
had  come  to  the  teacher's  house,  and  entered  the  school,  led 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  took  the  book  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
master  who  was  teaching  the  law,^  and  in  the  sight  and 

^This    particular    is    furnished  found  a  book  lying  on  the  read- 
by   (8).  ing  desk,  and  took  it  and  read." 
^Really  the  fourth  time.  (14)    says  that,  "he  entered  the 
°This   is  the   account   in    (2),  house   of   a   scribe,   and  took  a 
but  (10)  and  (12)  say  that,  "he  volume,  and  read,  not  what  was 


WONDERFUL  TEACHING  BY  CHRIST      i6i 

hearing  of  all  the  people  began  to  read,  not  indeed  what 
was  written  in  their  book,  but  he  spake  in  the  spirit  of  the 
living  God,  as  if  a  stream  of  water  were  gushing  forth  from 
a  living  fountain,  and  the  fountain  remained  always  full. 
And  with  such  power  he  taught  the  people  the  great  things 
of  the  living  God  and  the  law,  that  the  master  himself  fell 
to  the  ground  and  adored  him.  And  a  great  crowd  having 
come  together,  stood  by  and  heard  him,  and  wondered  at 
the  ripeness  of  his  teaching,  and  the  readiness  of  his  words ; 
and  that  he  a  child,  as  he  was,  spake  in  such  a  way.  And 
the  master  who  sat  down  beside  him,  and  listened  to  him 
with  pleasure,  entreated  him  to  teach  them  more. 

And  Joseph,  hearing  of  it,  was  afraid,  and  ran  to  the  (2) 
school  in  doubt,  lest  this  master  too  should  be  without  /j^) 
experience,^  and  was  dead.  And  the  master  said  to  Joseph, 
"Know,  brother,  that  I  have  taken  the  child  as  a  scholar, 
and  he  is  full  of  much  grace  and  wisdom ;  but  I  beseech  thee, 
brother,  take  him  home,  because  the  gravity  which  he  hath, 
hath  been  given  him  by  the  Lord.  Thou  hast  given  me  not 
a  scholar,  but  a  master ;  and  who  can  withstand  his  words  ?" 
Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  Psalmist, 
"The  river  of  God  is  full  of  water ;  Thou  hast  prepared  them 
corn,  for  so  is  the  provision  for  it."^  And  when  the  child 
heard  the  teacher's  words,  he  laughed  at  him,  and  said, 
"Since  thou  hast  spoken  aright,  and  witnessed  aright,  for 
thy  sake  he  also  that  was  struck  down  shall  rise  again." 
And  immediately  the  other  master  was  cured.  And  Joseph 
took  the  child,  and  went  away  home. 

written,  but  great  marvels."  The  ^Tischendorf  gives  a  probable 

latter    is    probably    the    original  conjecture    which    would    make 

form    of    the    story,    and    it    is  this  read,  "should  be  maimed." 

plainly  founded  on  the  narrative  ^Ps.  lxv.9. 
in  Luke  iv.16-22. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHRIST'S  VISIT  TO  THE  TEMPLE,  AND  HOME  LIFE  AT 
NAZARETH. 

The  Visit  to  Jerusalem — Joseph  and  Mary  depart  for 
Home — Christ  tarries  in  the  Temple — His  Par- 
ents seek  Him — Find  Him  teaching  and  asking 
Questions — He  teaches  the  Law — Astronomy — 
Natural  Science — Mary  reproaches  Him — Teach- 
ers glorify  Him — He  returns  to  Nazareth — Is 
subject  to  His  Parents — Joseph's  Family — Christ 
AT  Table — Joseph's  Old  Age — Confession  in  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem — His  Last  Illness. 

Main  Sources:  (2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  42. 

(S) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  10-15,  29. 
(8) — Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  50-55. 
(10) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Latin  Form,  15. 
(12) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  First  Greek  Form,  19. 
(14) — Gospel  of  Thomas,  Syriac  Form,  15. 
(15) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Bohairic  Ver- 
sion, 10-15,  29. 
(17) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Frag- 
ments, II,  13-15. 
(18) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Frag- 
ments, HI,  14,  15. 

(5)      Now  when  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old,  his  parents,  as  the 

Az)  custom  was  with  Joseph  and  Mary,  went  to  Jerusalem  to 

(14)  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  with  their  fellow-travellers,  and 

^^^^  took  him  with  them.^    And  when  the  Feast  of  the  Passover 

was  finished,  they  indeed  returned,  and  were  coming  home 

^This    whole   paragraph    is    so      ii.41-47,  and  with  so  little   sue- 
evidently     formed     after     Luke      cess  in  the  addition  of  original 

(162) 


CHRIST  TARRIES  IN  THE  TEMPLE        163 

again.  And  when  they  set  out  to  come  back,  the  child  Jesus 
tarried  in  Jerusalem ;  and  remained  in  the  temple  among 
the  teachers  and  elders  and  learned  men  of  the  sons  of 
Israel,  to  whom  he  put  various  questions  upon  the  sciences, 
and  gave  answers  in  his  turn.  And  neither  Joseph  nor 
Mary  knew,  but  supposed  he  was  in  their  company.^  And 
having  gone  one  day's  journey,  when  they  came  to  the  rest- 
ing place  for  that  day,  they  sought  for  him  among  their 
kindred  and  acquaintances ;  and  not  finding  him,  they  were 
in  great  grief,  and  turned  back  to  Jerusalem,  seeking  for 
him.  And  after  the  third  day,  they  found  him  in  the  tem- 
ple, sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  teachers,  both  hearing  the 
law  and  asking  them  questions.  And  they  were  all  attend- 
ing to  him,  and  wondering  that  he  being  a  child  was  shut- 
ting the  mouths  of  the  elders  and  teachers  of  the  people, 
explaining  the  mysteries  and  hard  sayings  of  the  law,  and 
the  parables  of  the  prophets. 

For  he  said  unto  them,  ''Whose  son  is  the  Messiah?"  (8) 
They  answered  him,  "The  son  of  David."  "Wherefore, 
then,"  said  he,  "doth  he  in  the  spirit  call  him  his  lord,  when 
he  saith,  'The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit  at  my  right  hand, 
that  I  may  put  thine  enemies  under  thy  footsteps?'"^ 
Again  the  chief  of  the  teachers  said  to  him,  "Hast  thou 
read  the  books?"  "Both  the  books,"  said  the  Lord  Jesus, 
"and  the  things  contained  in  the  books."  And  he  explained 
the  books,  and  the  law,  and  the  precepts,  and  the  statutes, 
and  the  mysteries,  which  are  contained  in  the  books  of  the 
prophets — things  which  the  understanding  of  no  creature 
attaineth  to.^    That  teacher  therefore  said,  "I  hitherto  have 

features,  that  it  scarcely  deserves  *For  the  passage,  see  Ps.  cx.i ; 
inclusion  amongst  apocryphal  Mat.  xxii.43.  The  word  foot- 
writings,  stool  has  above  evidently  been 
^Beda  says  that  the  men  and  misunderstood  by  some  tran- 
the  women  returned  in  separate  scriber,  so  as  to  be  thus  ren- 
companies.     For  this  reason  they  dered. 

were    deceived,   Joseph   thinking  'The    imagination   of   the    au- 

Christ  to  be  with  the  women's  thor  of  this  account  is  not  fer- 

company,     and     Mary     thinking  tile  enough  to  enlarge  upon  the 

Him  to  be  with  the  men's.  theological  teachings  of  Christ, 


i64       VISIT  TO  TEMPLE  AND  HOME  LIFE 

neither  attained  to  nor  heard  of  such  knowledge.  Who, 
pray,  do  ye  think  that  boy  will  be?" 

(8)  And  a  philosopher  who  was  there  present,  a  skilful  as- 
tronomer, asked  the  Lord  Jesus  whether  he  had  studied 
astronomy.  And  the  Lord  Jesus  answered  him,  and  ex- 
plained the  number  of  the  spheres,  and  of  the  heavenly 
bodies ;  their  natures  and  operations ;  their  opposition ;  their 
aspect,  triangular,  square,  and  sextile;  their  course,  direct 
and  retrograde ;  the  twenty-fourths,^  and  sixtieths  of  twen- 
ty-fourths ;  and  other  things  beyond  the  reach  of  reason.* 

(8)  There  was  also  among  those  philosophers,  one  very 
skilled  in  treating  of  natural  science,  and  he  asked  the  Lord 
Jesus  whether  he  had  studied  medicine.  And  he,  in  reply, 
explained  to  him  physics  and  metaphysics,  hyperphysics  and 
hyphophysics,  the  powers  likewise  and  humours  of  the  body, 
and  the  effects  of  the  same;  also  the  number  of  members 
and  bones,  of  veins,  arteries,  and  nerves;  also  the  effect  of 
heat  and  dryness,  of  cold  and  moisture,  and  what  these  give 


further  than  to  give  a  weak  par- 
aphrase of  Mat.  xxii.41-46.  Fab- 
ricius  tells,  however,  of  a  me- 
diaeval book  that  made  a  more 
ambitious  attempt.  It  is  a  work 
which  purports  to  have  ap- 
peared in  the  year  1203,  and  to 
contain  the  witness  of  a  Rabbi, 
who  was  present  on  this  occa- 
sion and  heard  the  teaching  of 
Jesus.  The  book  was,  of  course, 
a  comparatively  late  work,  writ- 
ten with  the  purpose  of  confut- 
ing Jewish  arguments  against 
Christianity.  It  represents  Christ 
as  teaching  about  His  heavenly 
Father,  the  Holy  Trinity,  the 
divinity  of  the  Messiah  and  His 
spiritual  kingdom,  and  of  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah  who  was 
already  come.  He  also  spoke  of 
the  river  Sambation,  of  the  tra- 
dition    of     Elijah     about     the 


world's  enduring  6,000  years,  and 
of  the  two  Messiahs,  one  of 
whom,  the  son  of  Joseph,  of  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  should  die, 
and  the  other,  the  son  of  David, 
should  reign  forever. 

^The  Latin  word  scripulum, 
here  used,  means  the  twenty- 
fourth  part  of  the  as.  It  is 
likely  put  here  for  the  motion  of 
a  planet  during  one  hour. 

*As  astronomy  was  the  science 
most  highly  esteemed  after  the- 
ology by  those  having  the 
Arabic  culture,  it  was  but  nat- 
ural that  the  author  of  (8), 
after  showing  Christ's  knowl- 
edge of  theology,  should  turn  to 
the  other  science.  In  the  next 
paragraph,  we  have  medicine 
and  natural  science,  which  held 
the  rank  just  below  this. 


CHRIST  TEACHES  IN  THE  TEMPLE        165 

rise  to;  what  was  the  operation  of  the  soul  upon  the  body, 
and  its  perceptions  and  powers;  what  was  the  operation  of 
the  faculty  of  speech,  of  anger,  of  desire;  lastly,  their  con- 
junction and  disjunction,  and  other  things  beyond  the  reach 
of  any  created  intellect.^  Then  that  philosopher  rose  up, 
and  adored  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  said,  "O  Lord,  from  this 
time  I  will  be  thy  disciple  and  slave." 

And  while  they  were  speaking  to  each  other  of  these  (8) 
and  other  things,  Mary  came,  after  having  gone  about  seek-  p°^ 
ing  him  for  three  days  along  with  Joseph.^  She  therefore,  (14) 
seeing  him  sitting  among  the  teachers,  asking  them  ques- 
tions, and  answering  in  his  turn,  said  to  him,  "My  son,  why 
hast  thou  treated  us  thus?  Why  hast  thou  done  these 
things  to  us,  child?  Behold,  thy  father  and  I  have  sought 
thee  with  great  distress  and  trouble."  And  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Why  seek  ye  me  ?  Know  ye  not  that  I  must  be 
about  my  Father's  business?  Know  ye  not  that  I  ought  to 
occupy  myself  in  my  Father's  house?"  But  they  did  not 
understand  the  words  that  he  spake  to  them.  Then  those 
scribes,  and  Pharisees,  and  teachers  asked  Mary  whether  he 
were  her  son,  saying,  "Art  thou  the  mother  of  this  child?" 
And  when  she  signified  that  he  was  her  son,  they  said, 
"Blessed  art  thou,  O  Mary,  who  hast  brought  forth  such  a 
son.  Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  for  God  hath  blessed 
the  fruit  of  thy  womb  f  for  such  glory,  and  such  virtue  and 
wisdom,  we  have  not  seen  in  boys,  neither  have  we  heard 
that  any  man  hath  mentioned."     And  Jesus  rose  up  and  fol- 

^All  this  is  a  curious  summary  the    tradition,    that    during    this 

of  the  knowledge  of  what  I  take  time  He  begged  his  bread  before 

to  be  the  earHer  mediaeval  pe-  the  door  of  the  temple.    He  saj-s 

riod.  that  during  this  period,  He  who 

^This  paragraph,  again,  is  but  once  fasted  forty  days,  either 
the  paraphrase  of  Luke  ii.  48-52.  fasted,  or  was  bidden  to  their 
Various  Church  writers  have  table  by  the  teachers  in  the 
discussed  the  question  as  to  how  temple,  or  more  probably  still, 
Christ  was  fed  during  these  subsisted  upon  some  of  the  pro- 
three  days  when  He  was  in  the  visions  for  the  journey,  which 
temple.  Johannes  Major  dis-  He  had  by  Him. 
misses    as    unworthy    of    Christ  ^Luke  i.42. 

15 


i66       VISIT  TO  TEMPLE  AND  HOME  LIFE 


lowed  his  mother,  and  was  subject  to  his  parents.  And 
returning  with  them  to  Nazareth,  he  obeyed  them  in  all 
things.  And  his  mother  observed  all  these  things  that 
had  happened,  and  all  the  great  miracles  that  Jesus  had 
done  among  the  people,  in  healing  many  that  were  diseased ; 
and  she  kept  all  these  words  of  his  in  her  heart.  And  the 
Lord  Jesus  advanced  in  stature,  and  in  wisdom,  and  in 
favour  with  God  and  man  ;^  and  all  who  saw  him  glorified 
God  the  Father  Almighty. 
(8)  And  from  this  day  he  began  to  hide  his  miracles  and  mys- 
(^7)  teries  and  secrets,  and  to  give  attention  to  the  law,  until  he 
completed  his  thirtieth  year,  when  his  Father  publicly  de- 
clared him  at  the  Jordan  by  this  voice  sent  down  from 
heaven,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased;"  the  Holy  Spirit  being  present  in  the  form  of  a 
white  dove.  And  there  are  other  eighteen  years  since  the 
Lord's  mother  brought  him  forth  on  earth,  in  a  mystery 
which  cannot  be  searched  out,  nor  can  any  know  it  in  the 
whole  creation,  except  the  Lord,  and  His  Father,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  unity.^ 


^The  entire  course  of  these 
apocryphal  writings  practically 
denies  this  statement. 

"It  seems  rather  curious  that 
the  apocryphal  writers  make  no 
effort  to  fill  in  this  long  gap  in 
the  life  of  Christ.  They  seem, 
however,  to  have  been  restrained 
by  the  positive  statement  of  the 
fourth  Gospel,  that  the  miracle 
at  Cana  was  the  first  wrought  by 
Christ  in  public.  The  statement 
above,  that  Christ  began  to  hide 
His  miracles,  seems  to  have  this 
in  mind;  but  the  next  one  about 
His  attention  to  the  law  flatly 
contradicts  the  testimony  just 
given  by  (8)  itself,  that  He  knew 
the  law  perfectly.  Cajetan,  Nic. 
Lyranus,  and'Tostatus  say  that 
during  this  period  He  worked  at 


His  father's  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
Simon  Cass.,  however,  declares 
this  to  have  been  unworthy  of 
Christ,  and  represents  Him  as 
spending  His  time  in  contempla- 
tion and  prayer.  Sepp,  in  his 
Symbolik  zum  Leben  Christi,  re- 
ports the  various  legends  that 
during  these  years  Christ  made 
a  journey  to  Persia  to  seek  for 
the  Magi,  or  a  similar  journey 
to  India,  or  a  journey  to  Egypt, 
where  He  was  instructed  in  wis- 
dom by  the  priests  of  that  coun- 
try. This  latter  legend  is  often 
given  in  blasphemous  Jewish 
books,  which  represent  Christ  as 
having  learned  sorcery  in  Egypt, 
whereby  He  was  able  to  work  His 
miracles.  See  Eisenmenger,  I, 
p.  149,  150,    A  similar  theory  of 


THE  FAMILY  AT  NAZARETH 


167 


Now  Joses^  and  Simon,  the  elder  sons  of  Joseph,  were  (5) 
married,  and  had  families  of  their  own.  Both  the  daughters  (^S) 
were  likewise  married,  and  lived  in  their  own  houses.  So 
there  remained  in  Joseph's  house  Judas,  and  James  the  Less, 
and  the  virgin  mother.^  Jesus,  moreover,  dwelt  along  with 
them  in  all  subjection  of  sonship,  not  otherwise  than  if  he 
had  been  one  of  the  sons.  But  he  passed  all  his  life  without 
fault.  He  did  every  work  of  mankind,  sin  only  excepted.^ 
Mary  he  called  mother,  and  Joseph  father,  and  he  obeyed 
them  in  all  that  they  said ;  nor  did  he  ever  contend  against 
them,  but  complied  with  their  commands,  as  other  men 
whom  earth  produceth  are  wont  to  do ;  nor  did  he  at  any 
time  arouse  their  anger,  or  give  any  word  or  answer  in 


a  residence  in  Egypt  has  been 
broached  in  modern  times,  by 
various  writers,  who  seek  thus 
to  account  for  the  undoubted  in- 
fusion of  ancient  Egyptian  ideas 
in  certain  forms  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  These,  however,  owe  their 
rise  to  the  Gnostic  movement, 
which  was  largely  Egyptian  in 
origin.  A  curious  book  appeared 
in  English  in  1895,  called  "The 
Unknown  Life  of  Christ,"  Lon- 
don, Hutchinson  &  Co.  The 
author  is  Nicolas  Notovitch,  a 
Russian,  who  claims  that  he 
found  in  the  Buddhist  monaster- 
ies of  Thibet  the  record  of 
Christ's  residence  in  that  coun- 
try and  India,  from  His  twelfth 
to  His  thirtieth  year.  He  gives 
at  some  length  a  record  of  His 
teachings,  and  of  the  Passion, 
from  which  all  supernatural  ele- 
ments are  eliminated.  I  have 
not  the  least  doubt  that  this 
book  is  a  fabrication,  resting 
upon  no  shred  of  authentic  tra- 
dition, even,  and  that  it  is  in- 
tended to  be  an  insidious  attack 


upon  the  Christian  religion.  Its 
inspiration  is  found  in  recent 
theories  that  Buddhism  and 
Christianity  are  akin  in  their 
fundamental  ideas,  and  that  the 
latter  must  have  been  derived 
from  the  former.  Notovitch's 
book  is  ingenious,  and  I  recom- 
mend it  to  the  curious,  but  a 
very  slight  acquaintance  with 
apocryphal  literature  will  con- 
vince one  that  it  is  a  thorough- 
ly modern  composition.  The  last 
sentence  of  this  paragraph  is 
from    (17). 

'(5)  here  reads  Justus,  and 
( 15) >  Josetos,  which  I  take  to  be 
the  transitional  form  from  the 
Joses  of  Mat.  xiii.55,  plainly  here 
intended,  and  which  I  supply, 
as  well  as  Simon  instead  of  the 
Simeon  of  (5). 

"(15)  here  says,  "but  Joseph 
dwelt  with  James  his  youngest 
son." 

^Here  is  another,  and  it  seems 
to  me,  much  more  sensible  guess 
as  to  the  occupations  of  the  mys- 
terious eighteen  years. 


i68       VISIT  TO  TEMPLE  AND  HOME  LIFE 


(2) 


opposition  to  them.^     On  the  contrary,  he  cherished  them 
with  great  love,  like  the  apple  of  his  eye.^ 

And  Joseph  having  come  to  a  feast  with  his  sons,  James, 
Joses,  Judas,  and  Simon,^  and  his  two  daughters,  Jesus 
met  them,  with  Mary  his  mother,  along  with  her  sister,  Mary 
of  Cleophas,*  whom  the  Lord  had  given  to  her  father 
Cleophas  and  her  mother  Anna,  because  they  had  offered 
Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus  to  the  Lord.  And  she  was  called 
by  the  same  name,  Mary,  for  the  consolation  of  her  parents. 
And  when  they  had  come  together,  Jesus  sanctified  and 
blessed  them,  and  he  was  the  first  to  begin  to  eat  and  drink ; 
for  none  of  them  dared  to  eat  or  drink,  or  to  sit  at  table,  or 
to  break  bread,  until  he  had  sanctified  them,  and  first  done 
so.^  And  if  he  happened  to  be  absent,  they  used  to  wait 
until  he  should  do  this.  And  when  he  did  not  wish  to  come 
for  refreshment,  neither  Joseph  nor  Mary,  nor  the  sons  of 
Joseph,  his  brothers,  came.  And,  indeed,  these  brothers, 
keeping  his  life  as  a  lamp  before  their  eyes,  observed  him, 
and  feared  him.  And  when  Jesus  slept,  whether  by  day  or  by 
night,  the  brightness  of  God  shone  upon  him.^ 
(5)  Now  at  length,  by  increasing  years,  the  pious  old  man 
(17)  Joseph  arrived  at  a  very  advanced  age,  his  life  being  pro- 
longed to  the  utmost  limit,  for  he  was  a  hundred  and  eleven 
years  old.'^    He  did  not,  however,  labour  under  any  bodily 


^All  this  is  but  an  expansion 
of  Luke  ii.51 ;  see  also  Heb. 
iv.15;  V.8;  I  Tim.  ii.ii. 

*See  Deut.  xxxii.io;  Ps. 
xvii.8 ;   Zech.    ii.8. 

^Again  I  correct  these  names 
from  Justus  and   Simeon. 

^See  chap.  11. 

"^Christ  here  takes  the  place  of 
the  father  of  the  family  in  pre- 
siding at  table.  Hofmann  refers 
to  a  treatise  by  Kuinoel,  1764,  on 
the  custom  of  grace  before  and 
after  meat  amongst  Jews  and 
Christians.  Some  such  rite  was 
very  ancient.    But  the  reference 


to  it  here  is  doubtless  suggested 
to  the  apocryphal  writer  by  the 
many  instances  recorded  in 
scripture  of  Christ's  blessing 
food.  See  Mat.  xiv.19;  xv.26; 
xxvi.26;  Luke  ix.i6;  John  vi.ii. 

*See  I  Tim.  vi.i6.  The  author 
of  (2)  here  adds :  "To  whom  be 
all  praise  and  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen,  amen.,"  mark- 
ing the  end  of  his  Gospel. 

'The  age  of  Joseph  at  the 
time  of  his  betrothal  to  Mary 
has  already  been  discussed  in 
chap.  IIL  The  reckoning  there 
made,   and   which   I   have   fol- 


TOSEPH'S  OLD  AGE 


169 


weakness ;  in  mind,  also,  for  the  whole  time  of  his  life,  he 
never  wandered.  His  body  was  not  bent,  but  like  a  boy  in  his 
business  he  always  displayed  youthful  vigour ;  and  his  limbs 
remained  unimpaired,  and  free  from  all  pain,  so  that  he 
worked  at  his  trade  of  a  carpenter  until  the  day  that  he  lay 
down  with  the  sickness  wherewith  he  should  die.  His  sight 
had  not  failed,  nor  had  any  tooth  perished  from  his  mouth, 
or  even  hurt  him.^ 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  death  of  the  pious  old  man  (5) 
Joseph  drew  near,  and  his  departure  from  this  world,  even  (^5) 
as  it  is  appointed  unto  all  men^  who  are  born  of  earth.  And 
as  his  body  was  verging  on  dissolution,  an  angel  of  the  Lord^ 
informed  him  that  he  should  die  this  year,  and  that  his 
death  was  now  close  at  hand.  Therefore  fear  and  great 
perplexity  came  upon  him,  and  his  soul  was  troubled.  So 
he  rose  up,  and  went  to  Jerusalem;  and  going  into  the 


lowed,  would  make  the  event 
above  narrated  happen  when 
Christ  was  eighteen  years  old, 
Joseph  having  been  93  at  the 
time  of  his  birth.  Epiphanius, 
however,  thinks  that  Joseph  died 
shortly  after  Christ's  twelfth 
year.  Bonaventure  thinks  he 
survived  the  time  of  Christ's 
Baptism.  John,  Archbishop  of 
Thessalonica,  says  that  he  did 
not  live  through  Christ's  public 
ministry.  Pseudo-Cyprian,  Am- 
brose, and  Augustine  all  say  that 
he  survived  Christ's  Resurrec- 
tion. The  age  of  iii  here  as- 
signed Joseph  at  the  time  of  his 
last  illness,  and  called  "the  ut- 
most limit,"  is  just  one  year 
greater  than  the  age  of  no  at 
which  the  patriarch  Joseph  died. 
Gen.  1.26.  This  may  have  sug- 
gested the  above  number  to  the 
author.  Joseph  the  Just  must 
excel  Joseph  the  Patriarch. 
Joshua   also   died  at   no.    The 


painters  have  generally  repre- 
sented Joseph  as  grievously 
bowed  down  by  old  age. 

'The  aim  here  is  to  represent 
Joseph  as  the  ideal  of  manhood, 
as  Mary  was  the  ideal  of 
womanhood.  This  idea  has  been 
fully  sanctioned  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  John  Gerson,  at 
the  Council  of  Constance,  wished 
to  have  the  immaculate  concep- 
tion of  Joseph  decreed. 

''This  expression,  see  Heb. 
ix.27,  is  repeated  many  times 
in   (5). 

^According  to  Jewish  ideas, 
which  I  suppose  are  followed 
here,  there  were  many  angels 
of  death,  of  whom  the  principal 
were  Sammael  and  Gabriel.  But 
according  to  later  writers,  Met- 
atron  was  set  over  all  these  an- 
gels. According  to  Mohamme- 
dan views,  Azrael  was  the  death 
angel.  See  Eisenmenger,  I,  p. 
854. 


170       VISIT  TO  TEMPLE  AND  HOME  LIFE 

temple  of  the  Lord,  he  repented,  and  poured  forth  his 
prayers  there  before  the  altar,  saying  :^ 
(5)  O  God,  author  of  all  consolation,  God  of  all  compassion,^ 
^^5)  and  Lord  of  the  whole  human  race;  God  of  my  soul,  body, 
and  spirit;  with  supplications  I  reverence  Thee,  O  Lord 
and  my  God!  If  now  my  days  are  ended,  and  the  time 
draweth  near  when  I  must  leave  this  world,  send  me,  I 
beseech  Thee,  the  great  Michael,  the  prince  of  Thy  holy 
angels;^  let  him  remain  with  me,  that  my  wretched  soul 
may  depart  from  this  afflicted  body  without  trouble,  without 
terror,  and  in  patience.  For  great  fear  and  intense  sadness 
take  hold  of  all  bodies  on  the  day  of  their  death,  whether  it 
be  man  or  woman,  beast  wild  or  tame,  or  whatever  creepeth 
on  the  ground  or  flieth  in  the  air.  At  the  last  all  creatures 
under  heaven  in  whom  is  the  breath  of  life  are  struck  with 
horror,  and  their  souls  depart  from  their  bodies  with  strong 
fear  and  great  depression.*     Now,  therefore,  O  my  Lord 


*rhis  long  prayer  that  follows 
is  similar  in  many  particulars  to 
the  prayers  given  in  various 
Greek  apocryphal  acts  of  the  dif- 
ferent apostles,  and  said  to  have 
been  uttered  by  them  just  before 
their  deaths,  e.  g.  the  prayer  ut- 
tered by  Philip,  in  the  Acts  of 
Philip,  Ante-Nicene  Fathers, 
VIII,  p.  502. 

''See  I  Cor.  1.3. 

^To  accompany  souls  from 
earth  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
a  principal  function  assigned  to 
Michael  by  Jewish  belief;  but 
in  the  Testament  of  Abraham, 
see  Ante-Nicene  Library,  X.  p. 
185,  a  work  bearing  many  points 
of  resemblance  to  (5),  and  to 
which  I  shall  refer  again,  it  is 
Michael  who  is  sent  by  God  to 
Abraham,  to  warn  him,  to  pre- 
pare him,  and  finally  to  bear  his 
soul  to  heaven.     Michael's  chief 


function  was  that  of  doorkeeper 
of  paradise.  For  much  curious 
lore  about  him,  see  Eisenmen- 
ger,  vol.  I. 

*The  intense  fear  of  death  here 
expressed  is  said  to  have  been 
characteristic  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians  and  of  the  Coptic 
Christians.  See  the  essay  of  M. 
Revillout,  Les  Affres  de  la  Mort, 
Rev.  Egypt.,  vol.  I,  p.  139  seq. 
The  attitude  of  Joseph  is  like 
that  of  Abraham,  who,  in  the 
Testament  of  Abraham,  refuses 
to  follow  Michael,  and  utterly 
cowers  before  Death  when  he  at 
last  appears  to  him.  The  dis- 
cussion of  the  question,  why 
death  is  permitted  to  rule  in  the 
world,  is  the  main  inspiration  of 
(5),  being  more  truly  its  pur- 
pose, I  think,  even  than  the  de- 
sire to  glorify  Joseph- 


JOSEPH'S  CONFESSION  OF  SIN 


171 


and  my  God,  let  Thy  holy  angel  be  present  with  his  help  to 
my  soul  and  body,  until  they  shall  be  dissevered  from  each 
other  without  trouble.  And  let  not  the  face  of  the  angel 
appointed  my  guardian^  from  the  day  of  my  birth  until  now, 
be  turned  away  from  me,  to  burn  in  anger  toward  me  in  the 
path,  as  I  come  unto  Thee ;  but  may  he  be  the  companion  of 
my  journey,  even  until  he  bring  me  to  Thee.  Let  his  coun- 
tenance be  pleasant  and  gladsome  to  me,  and  let  him  accom- 
pany me  in  peace.  And  let  not  the  demons  of  frightful 
aspect-  come  near  me  to  injure  me  in  the  way  which  I  am  to 
go,  until  I  come  to  Thee  in  bliss.  And  let  not  the  door- 
keepers^ hinder  my  soul  from  entering  paradise.  And  do 
not  uncover  my  sins,  and  expose  me  to  condemnation  before 
Thy  terrible  tribunal.  Let  not  the  lions^  rush  in  upon  me; 
nor  let  the  waves  of  the  river  of  fire^  overwhelm  my  soul. 
For  this  must  all  souls  pass  through,  and  be  purified  before 
they  see  the  glory  of  Thy  Godhead.   O  God,  most  righteous 


^The  belief  in  guardian  angels 
is  certainly  upheld  by  the  New 
Testament.  See  Mat.  xviii.io; 
Acts  xii.7.  Early  Christian  ref- 
erences to  the  belief  are  found 
in  Shepherd  of  Hermas,  III,  4; 
Justin  Martyr's  Apology,  II,  5 ; 
do.  Trypho,  5 ;  Athenagoras,  Le- 
gat.  10,  20;  Clem.  Alex.  Stro- 
mata,  VI,  17. 

^(15)  here  reads,  "those  whose 
face  is  diverse."  In  the  Testa- 
ment of  Abraham,  Death's  two 
diverse  faces  are  described  at 
great  length.  I  presume  that  in 
it,  and  here,  there  is  reference  to 
some  representation  of  the  old 
religion  of  Egypt. 

^(15)  here  has,  "those  who  are 
by  the  gates."  An  allusion, 
doubtless,  to  an  echo  of  the  an- 
cient religion.  The  doorkeepers 
of  the  gateways  of  Osiris. 

*See     Ps.    XXXV.17;     II    Tim. 


iv.17;  I  Pet.  V.8. 

"Or,  "sea  of  fire,"  as  it  is  in 
(5)  ;  (17)  has  "the  threatening 
waves  of  demons;"  and  (15),  the 
above,  which  I  judge  to  be  the 
original  form.  The  belief  in 
purgatory  appeared  very  early 
in  the  Church.  See  Clem.  Alex. 
Paedagog.  iii,  9;  do.  Stromata, 
VII,  6;  Origen  against  Celsus, 
V,  14,  15.  I  think  there  is  every 
indication  that  the  imagery  con- 
nected with  it  was  drawn  from 
the  religion  of  ancient  Egypt. 
But  see  also  Dan.  vii.io.  The 
Jewish  idea  seems  to  have  been 
that  paradise  was  surrounded  by 
the  abodes  of  hell,  so  that  it  was 
necessary  for  all  souls  to  pass 
through  it  in  order  to  reach  the 
dwellings  of  the  righteous.  But 
good  men  were  detained  in  it 
only  long  enough  to  be  washed 
and  cleansed. 


172       VISIT  TO  TEMPLE  AND  HOME  LIFE 

Judge,  who  in  justice  and  equity  wilt  judge  mankind,  and 
wilt  render  unto  each  one  according  to  his  works  ;^  O  Lord 
and  my  God,  I  beseech  Thee,  to  be  present  to  me  in  Thy 
compassion,  and  enlighten  my  path  that  I  may  come  to 
Thee;  for  Thou  art  a  fountain  overflowing  with  all  good 
things,  and  with  glory  for  evermore.  Amen.^ 
(5)      And  it  came  to  pass,  thereafter,  when  Joseph  returned  to 

(15)  his  own  house  in  the  city  of  Nazareth,  that  he  was  seized  by 

(17)  .  .  . 

(18)  the  disease  wherewith  he  should  die,  and  had  to  keep  to  his 

bed.  For  now  the  fine  gold,  even  the  flesh  of  Joseph,  began 
to  be  altered  and  lose  its  splendour ;  and  the  silver,  even  his 
understanding  and  wisdom,  to  be  worn  down  by  use.^  He 
also  loathed  food  and  drink,  and  lost  all  his  skill  in  his  trade 
of  carpentry  ;*  for  it  turned  into  error  and  unreasonableness, 
nor  did  he  any  more  pay  attention  to  it.  For  this  disease  was 
very  heavy  upon  him,  and  he  had  never  been  ill,  as  he  was 
now,  from  the  day  of  his  birth.  For  it  was  at  this  time  that 
he  died,  according  to  the  destiny  of  all  mankind. 

^Rev.  xxii.i2.  the  Mohammedan  praying  to- 
^Joseph  said  this  prayer  in  wards  Mecca  and  the  Kaaba,  and 
Jerusalem  because,  according  to  orientation  in  Freemasonry. 
Jewish  behef,  prayers  ascended  ^It  seems  strange  that  here  the 
best  from  the  temple.  According  understanding  is  compared  to 
to  some  Rabbis,  all  prayers  as-  silver,  and  the  flesh  to  the  nobler 
cended  to  God  from  the  holy  metal  gold.  This  seems  to  be 
place  alone.  When  offered  in  due  to  injudicious  embellish- 
other  lands,  they  had  first  to  fly  ments  of  the  text  by  transcribers, 
to  the  holy  land,  and  then  were  In  Tischendorf's  text,  the  gold 
gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  and  silver  refer  to  the  wisdom 
holy  land  to  this  one  spot  where  and  understanding,  which  is 
they  ascended  straight  up  to-  better.  There  is  probably  an 
gether.  This  reason  was  given  allusion  here  to  Eccles.  xii.6,  and 
for  the  practice  of  praying  to-  Lam.   iv.i. 

wards  Jerusalem.    See   I    Kings  ^Notice  how  conflicting  is  the 

viii.4;  Dan.  vi.io.    The  Christian  tradition  of  these  documents  as 

practice    of    orientation    is    cer-  to   whether  or   not   Joseph  was 

tainly  connected  with  this,  also  skilful  at  his  trade. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH. 

Joseph  Dying  —  His  Confession  —  Asks  Pardon  of 
Christ  Who  weeps  —  And  Ministers  to  him  — 
— Repels  Death  and  his  Crew — Prays  to  the 
Father — The  Angels  come — Receive  Joseph's  Soul 
— Christ  comforts  the  Children — The  Neighbours 
ENTER — Christ  blesses  Joseph's  Body — And  those 
who  commemorate  him — Preparations  for  the  Bur- 
ial— Christ  tells  why  Death  reigns — The  Burial — 
Mary  dwells  with  her  Nephews. 

Main  Sources:  (2) — Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  42. 

(S) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  15-29. 
(15) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Bohairic  Ver- 
sion, 15-29. 
(18) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Sahidic  Frag- 
ments, HI,  15-23. 

Nowit  came  to  pass,  in  the  early  dawn  of  the  twenty-sixth  (5) 
day  of  Abib/  that  Joseph,  that  righteous  old  man,  lying  in  /J^n 
his  bed,  was  giving  up  his  unquiet  soul.     Wherefore  he 
opened  his  mouth  with  many  sighs,  and  uttered  a  groan, 
and  struck  his  hands  one  against  the  other  three  times,  and 

^Abib,  or  Epep  in  the  Coptic,  ponds  to  the  above   date.    This 

corresponds  to  the  last  part  of  day    differs    from    that   kept   by 

July   and    the    first    of    August,  the  rest  of  the  Church,  which  has 

The  date  of  Joseph's  commem-  been    already    mentioned.      The 

oration   in    the   calendar   of  the  Jewish    month    Abib,    however, 

Coptic   church   is   mentiohed  by  falls  during  March  and  April, 
Malan  as  July  20,  which  corres- 

(173) 


174   DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 


(i8) 


with  a  loud  voice  cried  out  in  great  trouble,  and  spake  after 
the  following  manner : 
(5)  Woe  to  the  day  on  which  I  was  born  into  the  world  !^ 
/-o\  Woe  to  the  womb  which  bare  me!  Woe  to  the  bowels 
which  admitted  me !  Woe  to  the  breasts  which  suckled  me ! 
Woe  to  the  knees  upon  which  I  sat  and  rested !  Woe  to  the 
hands  which  carried  me  and  reared  me  until  I  grew  up  !^ 
For  I  was  conceived  in  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did  my  mother 
desire  me.^  Woe  to  my  tongue  and  lips,  which  have  brought 
forth  and  spoken  vanity,  detraction,  falsehood,  ignorance, 
derision,  idle  tales,  craft,  and  hypocrisy !  Woe  to  mine 
eyes,  which  have  looked  upon  scandalous  things,  and  loved 
witchery!  Woe  to  mine  ears,  which  have  delighted  in  the 
words  of  slanderers,  and  all  the  words  of  swearing!  Woe 
to  my  hands,  which  have  seized  what  did  not  of  right  belong 
to  them !  Woe  to  my  belly  and  my  bowels,*  which  have 
lusted  after  food  unlawful  to  be  eaten !  Woe  to  my  throat, 
which  like  a  fire  hath  consumed  all  that  it  found  !^  Woe  to 
my  feet,  which  have  too  often  walked  in  ways  displeasing  to 
God!  Woe  to  my  body,  and  woe  to  my  miserable  soul, 
which  hath  already  turned  aside  from  God  its  Maker ! 
What  shall  I  do  when  I  arrive  at  that  place  where  I  must 
stand  before  the  most  righteous  Judge,  and  when  He  shall 


^This  long  confession  is  very 
similar  to  a  prayer  to  be  used 
upon  one's  death  bed,  which  is 
found  in  a  prayer  book  of  the 
ItaHan  Jews,  and  is  reprinted 
by  Buxtorf,  Syn.  Jud.  cap.  49. 
Prof.  Forbes  Robinson  also  re- 
marks that  it  forms  a  striking 
contrast  to  the  "Negative  Con- 
fessions," in  c.  125  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  where  the  deceased 
asserts  the  purity  of  various  acts 
during  his  life  on  earth,  as  the 
ground  of  his  hope  for  admis- 
sion into  the  Hall  of  the  Two- 
fold Maat.  The  Jewish  prayer 
mentioned     has     its     successive 


clauses  begin  with  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet,  in  order.  There  is 
also  a  like  Mohammedan  prayer 
founded  upon  the  letters  of  the 
Arabic    alphabet. 

^Job  iii.  contains  much  that  is 
strikingly  similar  to  these  earlier 
sentences  of  the  confession. 

■■Ps.  li.5. 

*For  a  conception  of  the  intes- 
tines as  the  causes  of  offences 
in  this  life,  see  Porphyry,  De 
Abstinentia,  lib.  IV,  10. 

^(15)  here  has,  "would  con- 
sume it  more  than  a  burning 
fiery  furnace,  and  make  it  every- 
where unprofitable." 


JOSEPH  INVOKES  CHRIST  175 

call  me  to  account  for  the  works  which  I  have  heaped  up  in 
my  3'outh  ?  Woe  to  every  man  dying  in  his  sins  !  I  say  un- 
to you,  O  my  sons  and  daughters,  that  that  same  dreadful 
hour,  which  came  upon  my  father  Jacob,^  when  his  soul 
was  flying  forth  from  his  body,  is  now,  assuredly,  near  at 
hand  for  me.  Oh !  how  wretched  I  am  this  day,  and  worthy 
of  lamentation !  But  God  alone  is  the  disposer  of  my  soul 
and  body ;  He  also  will  deal  with  them  after  His  own  good 
pleasure. 

Now  as  the  righteous  old  man  Joseph  was  saying  these  (s) 
things,  Jesus  arose  and  went  to  him  as  he  lay  exceedingly  /jg^ 
troubled  in  soul  and  spirit.  And  he  said  to  him,  "Hail ! 
my  beloved  father,  whose  old  age  is  at  once  good  and 
blessed ;  how  is  it  with  thee  ?"  He  returned  answer  in  great 
trouble  and  disquietude,  saying,  "Hail !  many  times,  my 
beloved  son.  Indeed  the  agony  and  fear  of  death  have 
already  environed  me ;  but  as  soon  as  I  heard  thy  kindly 
voice,  my  soul  was  at  rest.  O  Jesus  of  Nazareth !  Jesus,  my 
Lord!  Jesus,  my  true  King!  Jesus,  my  good  and  merciful 
Saviour,  the  deliverer  of  my  soul !  Jesus !  O  sweetest  name 
in  my  mouth,  and  in  the  mouth  of  all  those  that  love  it !  O 
Jesus  the  Pilot !  Jesus,  who  shelterest  the  universe  and  rulest 
it  by  the  good  pleasure  of  thy  goodness !  Jesus,  the  Eye  that 
seest,^  the  Ear  that  hearest,  hear  me  also  to-day,  even  me 
thy  servant,  as  I  most  humbly  entreat  thee,  and  pour  out 
my  tears  before  thy  face.  For  thou  art  God  in  truth  and 
perfection,  even  as  thy  angel  warned  me  times  without 
number ;  and  especially  on  that  day  when  my  soul  was  driven 
about  with  perverse  thoughts  about  the  pure  and  blessed 
Mary,  who  was  carrying  thee  in  her  womb,  and  whom  I 
was  thinking  of  secretly  sending  away.  And  while  I  was 
thus  meditating,  behold,  there  appeared  to  me  in  my  rest  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  saying  to  me  in  a  wonderful  mystery, 
'O  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take  Mary  as  thy 
wife  f  and  grieve  not  thy  soul,  nor  speak  unbecoming  words 

'See  Mat.  i.i6.  ^Alat.  i.20.   The  account  of  this 

^Thilo  points  out  a  similar  pas-      event  is  given  here  in  quite  differ- 

sage  in  the  Hebrew  PirkeAboth.      ent  words   from  those  used  to 


176         DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

of  her  conception,  because  she  is  with  child  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  whose  name  shall  be 
called  Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins/ 
And  now,  O  my  Lord,  do  not  for  this  cause  wish  me  evil ; 
for  I  was  ignorant  of  the  mystery  of  thy  birth,  neither  did  I 
ever  hear  that  a  woman  was  with  child  without  a  man,  or  that 
a  virgin  bare,  sealed  in  her  virginity.  I  call  to  mind  also, 
my  Lord,  the  day  that  the  horned  serpent  bit  the  lad  on  his 
foot,  and  he  died.  His  relations  wished  to  deliver  thee  to 
Herod,  saying  that  thou  hadst  killed  him ;  and  thy  Godhead 
laid  hold  of  him,  and  he  lived.^  And  when  thou  didst  raise 
him  up  to  his  parents,  there  was  great  joy  to  them.  But  I 
requested  thee,  O  my  beloved  son,  saying,  'Be  quiet  in  all 
things ;'  and  I  took  hold  of  thy  right  ear,  and  pulled  it.^ 
Thou  didst  answer,  saying  unto  me,  'Unless  thou  wert  my 
father  according  to  the  flesh,  surely  I  would  have  taught 
thee  who  I  am.'  Now,  therefore,  O  my  Lord  and  my  God,^ 
if  thou  hast  reckoned  with  me  for  that  day,  and  hast  caused 
these  fearful  signs  to  come  upon  me ;  I  beseech  thy  goodness 
not  to  bring  me  in,  to  contend  with  me.*  I  am  thy  servant 
and  the  son  of  thine  handmaid.^  If  thou  breakest  my  bonds 
asunder,  I  will  sacrifice  to  thee  a  sacrifice  of  praise,  even  the 
confession  of  the  glory  of  thy  Godhead,  that  thou  art  Jesus 
Christ,  at  once  the  Son  of  God  in  truth  and  the  son  of  man."® 

describe  it  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  tale  of  the  lad  who  fell  from 

this  same  document.    Which  in-  the  house,  and  of  the  other  con- 

dicates,       as       other      incidents  cerning  James  bitten  by  a   ser- 

further     on     will     make     more  pent.     There   is   no  mention   of 

probable,  that  the  author  of  (5)  Herod  in  this  connection  in  the 

used  apocryphal  documents  that  Thomas  Gospels, 

dififered  from  any  that  are  now  ''Again,  in  the  Thomas  Gospels 

extant,  or  quoted  those  we  have  this    is    recorded    to    have    oc- 

with  extreme  inexactness.  curred  in  quite  a  different  con- 

^(5)  here  either  used  accounts  nection. 

similar  to  the   Thomas   Gospels  ^See  John  xx.28. 

and  differing  from  them  in  many  *Cf.  John  ix.3. 

details,    or    quotes    them    from  "^Ps.  cxvi.i6. 

memory,  and  confuses   different  ^Joseph's      whole      confession 

miracles    in    a    strange    manner.  here  seems  to  have  been  fabri- 

This  seems  to  be  a  compound  of  cated  for  the  purpose  of  shriv- 


CHRIST  WEEPS  OVER  JOSEPH  177 

Now  when  the  vigorous  old  man  Joseph  had  thus  spoken,  (5) 
he  was  unable  to  weep  more.  And  Jesus  could  not  refrain  ^^5) 
from  weeping  when  he  saw  him  already  caught  in  the  snares 
of  death  who  had  dominion  over  him,  and  when  he  heard 
the  words  of  misery  which  he  spake.  And  he  remembered 
the  day  of  his  death,  at  the  time  when  the  Jews  would  set 
him  on  the  cross  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world. 
Straightway,  he  went  to  the  court  outside ;  and  Mary  his 
virgin,  undefiled  mother  arose,  and  came  out  to  the  place 
wherein  he  was ;  and  she  said  to  him,  in  great  sorrow  and 
shame  of  heart,  "O  my  beloved  son,  this  pious  old  man 
Joseph  is  now  dying ;  shall  he  die,  he  of  the  good  and  blessed 
old  age,  Joseph  the  honourable,  thy  beloved  father  according 
to  the  flesh?"  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  her,  "O  my  be- 
loved mother,  who  is  there  ever  among  the  race  of  men, 
who  have  worn  flesh,  that  will  not  taste  death?  Assuredly 
upon  all  creatures  produced  in  this  world  the  same  necessity 
of  death  lieth ;  for  death  holdeth  sway  over  the  whole  human 
race.  Even  thou,  O  my  virgin  mother,  must  look  for  the 
same  end  of  life  as  other  mortals.  And  yet  thy  death,  as 
also  the  death  of  this  pious  man,  is  not  death,  but  life  eternal 
and  unceasing.  Nay  more,  even  I  must  taste  death  for  the 
imiverse,^  because  of  the  flesh  that  dieth,  which  I  wore  in 
thee.  Now  therefore,  O  my  beloved  mother,  arise  and  go 
in  unto  Joseph,  that  blessed  old  man,  in  order  that  thou 
mayest  see  what  will  happen  as  his  soul  ascendeth  from 
his  body." 

And  Jesus  arose,  and  went  into  the  court  where  he  lay,  (5) 
and  found  him  with  the  signs  of  death  already  manifest  in  p5) 
his  countenance.     He  sat  by  his  head,  looking  at  him ;  and 
Mary  also,  the  beloved  mother,  sat  at  his  feet.     And  that 
blessed  old  man  raised  his  head,  and  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on 

ing   his    toul    from    the    sin    of  'Heb.  ii.9.   This  thought  of  the 

doubt  concerning  Mary's  virgin-  universality     of     the     reign     of 

ity,  that  is  recorded  against  him  death  over  all  created  things  was 

in  the  canonical   scriptures,  and  a  familiar  one  to  the  Jews.    See 

repeated  in  other  forms  in  the  Eisenmenger,  I,  p.  343. 
apocryphal  ones. 


178    DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

the  face  of  Jesus ;  but  he  was  not  able  to  speak,  because  the 
dumbness  of  death  had  dominion  over  him.  But  he  hfted 
his  right  hand,  and  kept  fetching  many  sighs.  And  Jesus 
held  his  hands  and  his  feet  for  a  great  while ;  whilst  Joseph 
kept  holding  the  right  hand  of  Jesus,  looking  at  him  sted- 
fastly,  as  if  entreating  him,  and  saying,  "O  my  Lord,  suffer 
me  not  to  be  taken  away."  And  Jesus  put  his  hand  in  under 
his  breast,  and  found  that  his  soul  reached  to  his  throat ;  for 
it  was  preparing  to  depart  from  its  receptacle.  And  the 
messengers  of  death  were  waiting  for  him,  that  he  should  go 
forth  from  the  body.  But  the  last  hour  had  not  yet  been 
fulfilled;  for  when  Death  cometh,  he  hath  no  forbearance: 
for  Confusion  followeth  him,  and  Weeping  and  Destruction 
go  before  him. 
(5)  And  when  the  virgin  mother  saw  Jesus  touching  his  body, 
^^l^she  also  touched  the  soles  of  his  feet.  And  finding  them 
already  dead,  and  destitute  of  the  breath  of  heat,  she  said 
to  him,  in  guilelessness,  "Thanks  be  to  thee,  my  beloved 
son;  for  from  the  hour  that  thou  didst  put  thy  hand  on  his 
body,  the  fire  was  afraid  and  withdrew  from  him.  Behold, 
his  feet  and  his  legs  are  as  cold  as  ice  and  snow."  Then 
Jesus  moved  his  head,  and  called  Joseph's  children,  saying 
to  them,  "Come,  as  many  as  there  are  of  you,  and  speak 
with  your  blessed  father;  for  this  is  the  time  to  speak,  be- 
fore the  mouth  that  speaketh  faileth,  and  the  wretched  flesh 
is  cold."  Then  his  sons  and  his  daughters  arose,  and  came 
unto  their  father,  and  spake  with  him,  finding  him  in  danger 
of  death,  being  near  to  separation  from  this  life.  Lydia,  his 
eldest  daughter,  who  is  the  seller  of  purple,^  answered  and 
said  to  her  brethren,  "Woe  to  me,  my  brethren;  this  is  the 
sickness  which  befell  my  beloved  mother,  and  until  now  we 
have  seen  her  no  more.  This  also  is  that  which  happeneth 
to  our  father  Joseph,  that  we  should  not  see  him  forever." 

*Acts  xvi.l4.    The  author  cer-  constantly  seize  upon  points  of 

tainly    does    not    intend    intelli-  similarity    suggested    by    names, 

gently      to      identify      Joseph's  without  regard  to  consequences, 

daughter    with   this    woman    of  (5)  here  reads  Assia,  for  Lydia 

Thyatira.     Apocryphal     writers  or  Lysia. 


CHRIST  REPELS  DEATH  179 

And  she  lamented  and  shed  tears;  and  all  Joseph's  other 
children  mourned  along  with  her.  And  Jesus  also  and  Mary 
his  virgin  mother  wept  along  with  them,  knowing  that  the 
hour  of  death  was  come. 

Then  Jesus  looked  toward  the  south  and  saw  Death  (5) 
already  approaching.^  He  came  unto  the  house,  Gehenna-  Ij^c 
following  him,  who  is  the  counsellor  and  the  villain,  the 
devil  from  the  beginning,^  many  attendants  of  diverse 
aspects  following  him,*  all  armed  with  fire,  without  number, 
brimstone  and  smoke  of  fire  coming  forth  from  their  clothes, 
their  faces,  and  their  mouths.  Then  Joseph  looked,  and  he 
saw  those  who  came  after  him,  being  very  wrathful,  even 
as  they  burn  with  passion  and  anger  toward  every  soul  of 
man  that  cometh  forth  from  the  body,  and  especially  a  sinful 
one,  if  they  find  a  token  of  their  own  in  him.^  When  the 
good  old  man  saw  them.  Death  being  with  them,  his  eyes  dis- 
solved in  tears,  and  his  soul  was  distracted  with  great  groan- 
ing, seeking  a  way  to  be  hid  that  it  might  be  saved ;  for  he 
saw  powers  which  he  had  never  seen.  And  when  Jesus 
saw  the  great  trouble  which  befell  the  soul  of  his  father  Jo- 
seph, that  he  beheld  very  diverse  forms,  fearful  to  look  upon ; 
he  arose  straightway,  and  rebuked  him  who  is  the  instrument 
of  the  devil,  and  the  hosts  which  followed  him.  And  they 
fled  in  shame  and  in  great  confusion.  But  no  man  save 
Jesus,  of  those  gathered  about  Joseph,  not  even  Mary,  knew 
concerning  all  the  fearful  hosts  that  come  after  the  souls  of 
men.   And  when  Death  saw  that  Jesus  rebuked  the  powers 

^The  personification   of   death  in  the  following  narrative,  have 

here  is  very  similar  to  that  in  "Amenti,"  the  name  of  the  hell 

the      Testament      of     Abraham.  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  rehgion. 

Death  appeared  first  to  the  pa-  'See  I  John  iii.8. 

triarch  in  great  glory  and  beauty,  *For      descriptions      of      such 

but    afterwards,    at   his    request,  helHsh  crews,  and  the  efforts  of 

showed  him  his  face  of  corrup-  demons    to    get    possession    of 

tion   and   fierceness,   which  was  souls,  see  the  vision  of  the  monk 

so  terrible  that  7,000  of  Abra-  John  in  regard  to  Dagobert,  in 

ham's    servants    died    at    sight  the   Golden   Legend,   and   many 

of  it.  similar  mediaeval   legends. 

^The  Coptic  versions  here,  and  °Cf.   John  xiv.30. 
elsewhere  that  the  word  occurs 


i8o    DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

of  darkness^  which  followed  him,  and  put  them  forth,  and 
that  they  had  no  power  against  his  beloved  father  Joseph,  he 
was  afraid,  and  fled,  and  hid  himself  behind  the  door.^  Then 
Jesus  arose,  straightway,  and  offered  up  a  prayer  to  his 
Father,  the  exceeding  merciful,  saying: 
(5)      My  Father  and  the  Father  of  all  mercies,  the  Root  of 

(18)  goodness,  the  Father  of  truth,  the  Eye  which  seest,  the  Ear 
which  hearest,  hear  Thy  beloved  Son,  even  me,  as  I  entreat 
Thee  for  the  work  of  Thy  hands,  even  my  father  Joseph; 
that  Thou  mayest  send  me  a  great  cherubim,  and  the  choir 
of  the  angels,  and  Michael,  the  steward  of  goodness,  and 
Gabriel,  the  evangelist  of  the  aeons  of  Hght,^  and  all  the  light 
of  Thine  angels ;  that  their  whole  array  may  watch  the  soul 
of  my  father  Joseph,  and  lead  it,  until  it  cross  the  seven 
aeons  of  darkness,*  and  pass  by  the  dark  ways,  wherein  it  is 
very  fearful  to  go,  and  very  disquieting  to  see  the  powers 
which  are  upon  them.  Let  the  river  of  fire,  flowing  as  the 
waves  of  the  sea,  be  as  water,  and  the  sea  of  demons  cease 
vexing.  Let  it  be  gentle  towards  the  soul  of  my  father 
Joseph ;  for  this  is  the  hour  wherein  he  hath  need  of  mercy, 
as  he  cometh  unto  Thy  holy  hands.^ 
(5)      Now  it  came  to  pass  when  Jesus  had  said  the  amen,  Mary 

^^|)  his  beloved  mother  answering  him  in  the  language  of  the 
inhabitants    of    the    heavens,^    that    straightway,    behold, 

'Luke  xxii.53;  Col.  i.13.  and  poor,"  etc.    Here  the  aeons 

*So,  in  the  Testament  of  Abra-  refer   to    time.     Prof.    Robinson 

ham,  Death  cowers  and  trembles  cites     also     in     illustration     the 

in  the  presence  of  God.  Egyptian  conception  of  the  seven 

^Here,  and  in  the  passage  to  Arits    through    which    the    dead 

which  the  next  note  refers,  there  man  was  supposed  to  pass, 

seems  to  be  a  survival  of  Gnostic  "This    prayer,    mainly    formed 

terminology,     the     "aeons"     of  of  the  Coptic  versions,    (5)   be- 

"light,"  and  the  mystical  number  ing  much  briefer,  impresses  me 

seven.     Gabriel    is    called    "the  as    one   of    considerable   beauty, 

angel  of  the  aeons,"  in  the  Pistis  and  as  having  strong  evidences 

Sophia.  of   liturgical   construction.    May 

*In   the    Testament   of   Abra-  it  not  be  the  adaptation  of  some 

ham.  Death  says  to  the  patriarch,  Gnostic  formula? 

"For  seven  aeons,  I  destroy  the  °An  expression  often  used  in 

world    and    lead    all    down    to  apocryphal   literature. 
Hades,   kings    and   rulers,    rich 


CHRIST  PERMITS  DEATH  TO  ENTER      i8i 

Michael  and  Gabriel  and  the  choir  of  the  angels  came  from 
heaven,  and  stood  by  the  body  of  Joseph.  And  straightway 
numbness  and  panting  for  breath  rose  against  him  exceed- 
ingly, and  Jesus  knew  that  the  burning  hour  was  come. 
And  he  kept  labouring  as  one  about  to  bear  a  child,  affliction 
pursuing  after  him  as  a  violent  wind,^  and  as  a  great  fire 
devouring  a  great  wood.  And  as  for  Death  also,  fear  did 
not  suffer  him  to  enter  into  the  body  of  Joseph,  that  he 
might  separate  it  from  the  soul ;  for,  looking  in,  he  saw  Jesus 
sitting  by  his  head,  having  hold  of  his  temples.  And  when 
Jesus  knew  that  Death  feared  to  come  in  because  of  him,  he 
arose  and  went  outside  the  porch,  and  found  him  waiting 
alone  in  great  fear.  And  straightway  he  said  to  him,  "O 
thou  that  hast  come  from  the  places  of  the  south,  get  thee  in 
quickly,  and  accomplish  that  which  my  Father  hath  com- 
manded thee.  But  watch  him  as  the  light  of  thine  eyes ;  for 
he  is  my  father  according  to  the  flesh,  and  he  hath  suffered 
with  me  in  the  days  of  my  youth,  fleeing  with  me  from  place 
to  place  because  of  the  plot  of  Herod.  And  I  learned  from 
him  as  all  sons,  whom  their  fathers  teach  for  their  profit."^ 
Then  Abaddon^  went  in,  and  took  in  peace  the  soul  of 

^See  Ps.  xlviii.6,  7.  sword  in  his  hand,  on  which 
^Cf.  Heb.  xii.g,  10.  hangs  a  drop  of  gall  that  is 
^Thus,  in  (18).  See  Rev.  ix.il.  given  the  victim,  see  Eisenmen- 
I  suppose  Death  is  indicated.  ger,  I,  873.  Similar  Mohamme- 
The  other  versions  do  not  state  dan  legends  are  embodied  in 
who  brought  the  soul  forth.  In  chap.  XVIII.  Eisenmenger  gives 
various  apocalypses,  accounts  are  the  wonderful  Rabbinical 
given  of  the  difficulty  that  is  legends  about  the  death  of 
experienced  in  bringing  the  soul  Moses,  in  I,  856.  Zoega,  in  his 
forth.  In  that  of  Esdras,  the  Catalogue,  p.  334,  gives  the  Sa- 
angels  cannot  bring  it  through  hidic  story  of  a  monk  to  whom 
his  mouth,  nostrils,  eyes,  head,  God  permitted  to  see  the  soul 
or  the  ends  of  the  nails,  and  of  a  wicked  man  come  forth  in 
return  to  God  in  despair.  The  torment,  and  also  to  see  a  right- 
same  difficulty  is  discussed  in  eous  soul  come  forth.  In  the 
the  Apocalyse  of  Sedrach.  In  latter  case,  Michael  and  Gabriel 
the  Testament  of  Abraham,  God  were  sent  to  take  it.  As  it  would 
finally  removes  the  soul  as  in  not  come  forth,  David  with  his 
a  dream.  For  Jewish  legends  as  melodious  harp  finally  charmed 
to  how  death  appears  with  a  it  thence. 
16 


i82    DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

Joseph,  and  brought  it  forth  from  the  body  at  the  hour  when 
the  sun  was  about  to  rise  on  its  course.  Now  when  Joseph 
gave  up  his  spirit,  Jesus  saluted  him.  And  when  he  went 
in,  he  sat  by  him ;  and  no  man  knew  that  he  was  dead, 
among  those  who  sat  about  him.  Then  Michael  and  Gabriel 
came  to  the  soul  of  Joseph,  and  Michael  took  hold  of 
the  two  corners  of  a  shining  napkin,  of  fine  texture,  silken^ 
and  precious ;  and  Gabriel  took  hold  of  the  two  other  cor- 
ners. They  saluted  the  soul  of  Joseph,  and  wrapped  it  in 
the  napkin.  And  Jesus  made  Michael  and  Gabriel  watch 
the  soul  of  his  beloved  father  Joseph,  because  of  the  plun- 
derers that  are  in  the  ways  ;^  and  he  made  the  angels  that 
have  no  body  keep  singing  before  him,  until  they  took  him 
to  the  heavens  unto  his  good  Father,  even  into  the  dwelling- 
place  of  the  just.^ 
(5)  Then  Jesus  turned  to  the  body  of  his  father  Joseph,  lying 
(15)  prostrate  and  bloodless  like  an  empty  vessel,  and  sitting 
down  he  reached  forth  his  hands,  and  put  right  his  eyes,  and 
closed  his  mouth,  and  looked  down  upon  him  for  a  great 
while,  weeping  for  him.  And  he  said  to  the  virgin,  "O  Mary, 
my  mother,  where  now  are  the  skill  and  all  the  works  of 
trade  which  this  man  hath  wrought  from  his  youth  until 
now  ?  They  all  have  passed  away  in  this  one  hour,  as  though 
he  had  not  been  born  into  the  world  at  all."  When  Joseph's 
iOns  and  daughters  heard  Jesus  saying  these  things  to  Mary 
his  virgin  mother,  they  knew  that  he  had  already  breathed 

'Dr.  Budge  says  that  the  cus-  Eisenmenger,  I,  879. 
torn  of  wrapping  the  dead  in  silk  "Precisely  similar  was  the  con- 
first  came  into  Egypt  about  the  duct  of  the  angels  in  taking  to 
end  of  the  fourth  century.  This  heaven  the  soul  of  Abraham,  ac- 
idea  of  wrapping  up  the  soul  cording  to  the  Testament  of 
seems  like  a  fantastic  one.  But  Abraham.  It  is  specified  that 
so,  in  the  Testament  of  Abraham,  they  sang  the  Trisagion,  and  the 
does  Michael  take  the  soul  in  "a  account  ends  with  a  passage 
divinely   woven   linen   cloth."  which    is   but   an   adaptation   of 

^(S)  has  "the  demons  of  dark-  the     prayer     for     the     faithful 

ness   which    were    in    the   way."  departed     in     the     Liturgy     of 

Precisely  the   point   of  view  of  St.    Basil.      The    last    clause    of 

the  vulgar  Chinese  Joss  religion.  the  above  is  a  fragment  of  the 

The  Jews  held  similar  views,  see  same  prayer. 


CHRIST  ANOINTS  JOSEPH'S  BODY        183 

his  last,  and  they  shed  tears  and  lamented.  And  they 
said  to  Jesus,  with  great  weeping,  "Woe  to  us,  O  our  Lord ! 
Is  our  father  dead,  and  we  knew  it  not?"  And  he  said  to 
them,  "In  truth,  he  is  dead.  But  the  death  of  Joseph  my 
father  is  not  death,  but  life  forever.  Those  blessings  which 
my  beloved  father  Joseph  will  receive  are  great.  For  from 
the  hour  that  his  soul  went  forth  from  his  body,  all  trouble 
ceased  for  him.  He  went  into  the  kingdom  forever.  He 
left  behind  him  the  burden  of  the  body.  He  left  behind  him 
this  world  full  of  all  troubles  and  all  vain  cares.^  He  went 
into  the  resting  places  of  my  Father  who  is  in  the  heavens, 
which  are  never  destroyed."  And  when  Jesus  had  said  these 
things  to  his  brethren,  "Your  father  Joseph,  the  blessed  old 
man,  is  dead,"  they  arose ;  they  rent  their  garments,  and  they 
wept  for  a  great  while. 

And,  indeed,  the  inhabitants  of  Nazareth  and  of  Galilee,  (s) 
when  they  heard  the  mourning,  flocked  to  the  place,  accord-  ^^^^ 
ing  to  the  law  of  the  Jews  ;  and  they  spent  all  the  day  mourn- 
ing for  him  until  the  ninth  hour.-  And  at  the  ninth  hour  they 
all  went  together  to  Joseph's  bed.  And  they  lifted  his  body, 
after  they  had  anointed  it  with  costly  unguents.^  But  at 
that  hour  Jesus  caused  all  to  be  put  forth.  Then  he  poured 
water  on  the  body  of  his  beloved  father  Joseph,  and  anointed 
him  with  sweet  smelling  oil.  He  prayed  to  his  good  Father 
who  is  in  the  heavens,  with  heavenly  prayers,  which  he  wrote 
with  his  own  fingers  on  the  tables  of  heaven,*  before  he  took 
flesh  in  the  holy  virgin  Mary.  And  as  soon  as  he  had 
finished  it,  and  pronounced  the  amen,  there  came  a  multitude 
of  angels ;  and  he  ordered  two  of  them  to  stretch  out  their 
shining  garments,  and  to  wrap  in  them  the  body  of  Joseph, 
the  blessed  old  man. 

^See  II   Cor.  v.4.  are  discussed  at  some  length  by 

*See  Mat.  ix.23 ;    Mark  v.38.  Fabricius,     Codex.     Apoc.     Vet. 

^See  John  xix.39.  Test.  I,  p.  551.    As  examples  of 

^See  Ex.  xxxi.18;    Deut.  ix.io.  alleged  magical  prayers  composed 

The  tables  of  heaven  are  men-  by  Christ,   see  two  numbers   of 

tioned  in  the  Testaments  of  the  M.    Rene    Basset's    Apocryphes 

Twelve     Patriarchs,     Asher,     7,  fithiopiens,  v.  vii,  and  partly  em- 

and  apocryphal  ideas  about  them  bodied  in  chap.  XX. 


i84         DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

(5)  And  Jesus  placed  his  hands  on  the  body  of  Joseph,  and 
(^5)  spake  to  him,  saying,  "Let  no  evil  smell  of  death  have  do- 
minion over  thee,  neither  let  thine  ears  stink,  nor  let  a  worm 
ever  come  forth  from  thy  body,  neither  let  thy  shroud  nor 
thy  flesh,  M^herewith  I  have  clothed  thee,  rot  in  the  earth,^ 
but  let  it  remain  on  thy  body  even  until  the  day  of  the  ban- 
quet of  the  thousand  years.^  Let  nothing  of  thy  body 
perish,  nor  a  single  limb  of  it  be  broken.  Let  not  the  hair  of 
thy  head  waste  away,  of  which  I  took  hold  with  my  hands 
many  times,  O  my  beloved  father  Joseph ;  and  it  shall  be 
well  with  thee.  They  who  shall  take  thought  for  an  offering, 
and  present  it  to  thy  shrine  on  the  day  of  thy  memorial,  even 
the  twenty-sixth  of  the  month  Abib ;  I  will  bless  each  one  of 
them  also  in  the  heavenly  offering  which  is  in  the  heavens ; 
for  one  will  I  render  unto  them  thirty,  sixty,  and  a  hundred.' 
And  also  he  who  shall  give  bread  to  the  wretched,  the  poor, 
the  widows,  and  orphans,  from  the  work  of  his  hands,  on  the 
day  on  which  thy  memory  shall  be  celebrated,  and  in  thy 
name,  I  will  not  suffer  him  to  lack  any  good  thing  of  this 
world,  all  the  days  of  his  life.  Whosoever  shall  have  given  a 
cup  of  water  or  of  wine  into  the  hand  of  a  stranger,  or  of  a 
widow,  or  of  an  orphan,  on  the  day  of  thy  memorial ;  I  will 
grant  him  to  thee  to  take  him  to  the  banquet  of  the 
thousand  years.*     They  who  shall  write  the  history  of  thy 

^The    idea    of   all    this    is    the  early  Christian  references  to  the 

same  that   made   the   Egyptians  banquet,      see      Barnabas,      15 ; 

spend   such   extraordinary  pains  Hermas,     i.3 ;     Irenaeus     contra 

in     embalming    the     dead.     Ac-  Haer.      v.33 ;      Justin,      Trypho, 

cording  to  their  belief,  which  the  81 ;     Tertullian     adv.     Marcion, 

Christian   writer  here   seems   to  III,  24.    For  the  Jewish  concep- 

appropriate,  it  was  necessary  for  tion  of  this  banquet,  with  many 

the  dead  man  to  have  his  body  monstrous    ideas,    feasting   upon 

as    well    preserved    as    possible,  the    flesh    of    Behemoth,    Levia- 

when  he  went  to  the  underworld.  than,  and  the  bird  Bar  Juchneh, 

See  Book  of  the  Dead,  chap.  154.  see  Eisenmenger,  I,  p.  880. 

The  Christian  world  to  this  day  ^Mat.   xiii.8;   Mark   iv.8. 

retains  its  prejudice  against  ere-  *The  Testament  of  Isaac,  given 

mation,  the  rapid  instead  of  slow  in      Testament      of      Abraham, 

destruction  of  the  body.  James,  p.  148,  contains  a  passage 

'Cf.   Rev.   XX.2,  3,  4,   7.    For  very  similar  to  all  this  promise 


CHRIST  BLESSES  JOSEPH'S  MEMORY     185 

life/  of  thy  labour,  of  thy  going  forth  from  the  body,  and  of 
all  the  words  which  have  come  forth  from  my  mouth  to-day, 
I  swear  by  thy  life,  O  my  beloved  father  Joseph,  that  I  will 
grant  them  to  thee  in  this  world ;  and  also  when  they  go  forth 
from  the  body,  I  will  tear  the  bond  of  their  sins,-  that  they 
may  not  receive  any  torment,  save  the  necessity  of  death  and 
the  river  of  fire  which  is  before  my  Father,  which  cleanseth 
all  souls.  This  shall  they  cross  without  trouble  or  pain,  nor 
will  I  torment  them  with  any  punishment  of  the  day  of  judg- 
ment,^ but  I  will  burn  the  book  of  their  sins.*  And  if  he  is  a 
poor  man,  and  hath  not  wherewith  to  do  those  things  which  I 
have  said,  if  he  beget  a  son,  and  call  his  name  Joseph,^  glori- 
fying thy  name;  famine  and  pestilence  shall  not  be  in  that 
house,  because  thy  name  is  in  it.® 

After  these  things,  the  chief  men  of  the  city  came  together  (5) 
to  the  place  where  the  body  of  the  blessed  old  man  Joseph  ^^S) 
had  been  laid,  bringing  with  them  burial-clothes ;  and  they 


of  recompence  for  good  deeds  at 
the  banquet  of  the  thousand 
years. 

^The  inscription  at  the  end  of 
the  Ms.  of  (15)  is  so  curious 
that  I  give  it  as  a  specimen. 
Such  prayers  are  to  be  found  at 
the  end  of  nearly  all  apocryphal 
Ms. :  "Remember  me,  the  least, 
the  sinner,  the  wretched  one, 
stinking  in  the  pit  of  his  sins, 
even  Hapip.  Lord,  have  mercy 
upon  him.  Amen.  I  wrote  this 
on  the  twenty-eighth  of  the 
month  Epep,  in  the  year  of  the 
martyrs,  seven  hundred  and 
eighty-three."  Poor  Hapip 
doubtless  hoped  to  share  in  the 
above   blessing. 

^See  Col.  ii.14. 

^A11  the  fathers  placed  the 
purgatorial  fires  at  the  day  of 
judgment,  as  the  Greek  church 
does     still.     Augustine  was  the 


first  who  maintained  that  the 
purification  took  place  in  Hades 
before  the  judgment.  According 
to  the  Koran,  the  judgment  day 
shall  endure  a  thousand  years, 
or  fifty  thousand  according  to 
another   passage. 

*See  Rev.  xx.12;  Dan.  vii.io. 
It  is  a  well  known  Jewish,  also 
Mohammedan  belief,  that  all  the 
deeds  of  life  are  written  in  a 
book  from  which  each  man  shall 
be  judged.  See  a  form  of  this 
legend  in  chap.  XVHI. 

'A  similar  promise  is  made  in 
the  Testament  of  Isaac,  which  I 
have  once  already  referred  to. 

"It  is  plain  from  this  para- 
graph, that  the  practical  purpose 
the  author  had  in  view  in  this 
document  was  the  encouraging 
the  cultus  of  St.  Joseph,  although 
a  disquisition  on  the  mystery  of 
death  was  his  main  theme. 


i86    DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

wished  to  wrap  it  up  in  them  after  the  manner  in  which 
the  Jews  are  wont  to  arrange  their  dead  bodies.^  And  they 
found  it  already  prepared,  the  shroud  having  been  fastened 
to  his  body,  as  though  it  were  fastened  with  iron  pins ;  and 
when  they  moved  him,  they  found  no  entrance  in  the  shroud. 
Nor  could  they  find  any  ends  in  that  piece  of  linen,  which 
struck  them  with  the  greatest  astonishment.  And  after  these 
things,  they  carried  him  out  to  a  place  where  there  was  a 
cave.  And  when  they  had  dug  at  the  door  of  the  cave,  that 
they  might  open  its  gates  and  bury  his  body  beside  the 
bodies  of  his  fathers,  Jesus  remembered  the  day  that  Joseph 
went  down  with  him  into  Egypt,^  and  the  great  troubles  that 
he  suffered  because  of  him.  And  he  stretched  himself  out  on 
his  body,  and  wept  for  him  a  great  while,  saying : 
(5)  O  Death  !^  Who  makest  all  knowledge  to  vanish  away,  and 
^^^^  raisest  so  many  tears  and  lamentations,  surely  it  is  God,  my 
Father  Himself,  who  hath  granted  thee  this  wonderful 
power.  For  men  die  for  the  transgression  of  Adam,  and  Eve 
his  wife,*  but  Death  is  not  to  blame  like  these.  For  though 
he  spareth  not  so  much  as  one,  he  doeth  nothing  without 
the  command  of  my  Father.  There  certainly  was  a  man 
who  lived  nine  hundred  years  before  he  died,^  and  many 
others  also  have  lived  more  than  that;  yet  not  one  of  them 
said,  "I  have  seen  Death,"  or  that  he  cometh  from  time  to 
time  troubling  any  one.  But  he  doth  not  trouble  them  save 
one  time;®  and  that  time  also  it  is  my  good  Father  who 

*See  John  xix.40;  Mat.  xxvii.  horror  in  the  presence  of  death, 

59;  Mark  xv.46;  Luke  xxiii.S3.  and  the  source  of  some  of  the 

''Such    a    reference    as   this    is  gloomier  views  as  to  the  state  of 

enough    to    indicate    the    almost  departed  souls, 

certainly  Egyptian  origin  of  this  *Gen.  iii.6;    Rom.  v.12;   I  Cor- 

apocryphal  document.  xv.21,  22. 

^Prof.   Robinson  remarks  that  "See    Gen.  v.5.     The    Rabbins 

there  is  much  pathos  in  many  of  say  that  Adam  was  to  have  lived 

the  Egyptian   lamentations  over  a  thousand  years,  but  presented 

death,    with    several    of    which  seventy    years    of    his     life    to 

he  compares   the   above.     Egypt  David,     who     otherwise     would 

is    certainly    the    inspiration    of  have  had  a  very  short  life, 

much  of  the  mediaeval  Christian  "Cf.  Heb.  ix.27. 


CHRIST  TELLS  WHY  DEATH  REIGNS      187 

sendeth  him  after  the  man.  And  at  the  hour  that  he 
Cometh  after  him,  he  heareth  the  sentence  from  heaven.  If 
the  sentence  cometh  in  confusion  and  is  full  of  anger,  Death 
also  cometh  in  confusion  and  in  wrath,  that  he  may  fulfil 
the  command  of  my  good  Father,  and  receive  the  soul  of 
the  man,  and  give  it  to  the  Lord.^  Death  is  not  able  to  cast 
him  into  the  fire  nor  to  bring  him  into  the  kingdom  of  the 
heavens.  For  Death  performeth  the  commandment  of  God ; 
but  Adam  did  not  the  will  of  my  Father,  but  rather  wrought 
transgression,  until  my  Father  was  angry  with  him,  in  that 
he  obeyed  his  wife,  and  was  disobedient  to  my  good 
Father,  until  he  brought  Death  upon  all  flesh.-  If  Adam 
had  not  been  disobedient  to  my  good  Father,  He  would  not 
have  brought  Death  upon  him.  What  is  there  that  hin- 
dereth  me  from  asking  my  good  Father  to  send  me  a  great 
chariot  of  fire,^  that  I  may  set  my  father  Joseph  thereon, 
that  he  may  not  taste  death  at  all ;  and  that  I  may  cause  him 
to  be  taken  up  in  the  flesh  wherein  he  was  born,  to  the  places 
of  rest,  and  that  he  may  dwell  with  my  angels  that  have  no 
body?  But  because  of  the  transgression  of  Adam,  this 
great  trouble  hath  come  upon  all  mankind,  and  this  great 
necessity  of  death.*  Inasmuch  as  I  wear  the  flesh  that  suf- 
fereth,  I  must  needs  taste  death  in  it  for  the  creatures  that 
I  have  made,  in  order  that  I  may  have  mercy  on  them. 

Having  thus   spoken,  Jesus   embraced   the  body  of  his  (5) 
father  Joseph,  and  wept  over  it;  and  they  opened  the  door  of  (^5) 
the  tomb  and  placed  his  body  in  it,  near  the  body  of  his 
father  Jacob.^     And  thus,  assuredly,  it  pleased  Christ  to 
order  the  destiny  of  righteous  Joseph. 

^Another  reference  to  the  idea  ^See  II  Kings  ii.ii. 

of  death's  two  faces.  *The   Rabbins,   however,   said, 

*The  exposition  of  the  author  some  that   six,   some  that  nine, 

not  only   agrees   with   Christian  some  that  thirteen  persons  were 

theology,    e.    g.  Rom.    v.12,   but  not    subject    to    the    power    of 

with    Jewish    theology    as    well.  death.     See    Eisenmenger,    I,    p. 

See  Eisenmenger,  II,  p.  81.   God  865. 

constantly  gives  power  to  death  "^Beda   says   that   the   tomb   of 

through   the   ministry  of  Meta-  Joseph  was  in  the  valley  of  Je- 

tron.  Eisenmenger,  I,  p.  854.  hoshaphat,  near  that  of  Simeon. 


i88    DEATH  OF  THE  OLD  MAN  JOSEPH 

(2)  And  when  Joseph,  worn  out  with  old  age,  died  and  was 
buried  with  his  parents,  the  blessed  Mary  lived  with  her 
nephews,  or  with  the  children  of  her  sisters.^ 

The    Bollandists,    however,    say         ^This   brief  passage   is   found 
that  tomb  is  that  of  the  Joseph      only  in  certain  Mss.  of  (2). 
or  Justus  mentioned  in  Acts  i.23. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CHRIST  MADE  A  PRIEST,  BAPTIZED,  AND   CALLS  HIS 
APOSTLES. 

One  of  the  Priests  dies — Difficulty  in  choosing  a 
Successor — Christ  nominated — His  Genealogy  in- 
vestigated—  Mary's  Virginity  again  proved  — 
Christ  enrolled  as  Son  of  God — Officiates  as 
Priest — John  baptizes — Christ  brought  to  his  Bap- 
tism— Baptized — ^John  imprisoned — Christ  chooses 
His  Apostles — Wonders  told  by  John  the  Apostle 
— Particulars  about  the  Apostles — Personal  Ap- 
pearance of  Christ. 

Main  Sources:  (ii) — Narrative  regarding  the  Beheading  of  John 

the  Baptist. 
(i6) — Fragments  of  Lost  Documents. 
(19) — How  Jesus  Christ  was  made  a  Priest. 
(20) — Acts  of  John,  2,  6,  7,  9. 
(21) — Letter  of  Lentuhis. 
(24) — Story  of  Veronica. 
(30) — Church  Fathers  and  Other  Writers. 
(42) — Bohairic  Accounts  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of 

Mary,  I,  v. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  after  the  death  of  the  old  man  (jg) 
Joseph,  at  the  time  when  Jesus  abode  in  Judaea,  before  he 
began  openly  to  show  himself  and  teach  the  people  to  be- 
lieve on  him,^  that  one  of  the  two  and  twenty  priests  in  the 
temple  died.     For  in  the  most  ancient  times,  when  the  tem- 

*This  first  sentence,  formed  of  latter      essentially,      but      have 

phrases  from  several  apocryphal  slightly    changed    the    order    of 

documents,    I    have   prefixed   to  some  of  its  sentences. 
(19).    I   have   not   altered  this 

(189) 


190 


PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 


pie  was  built  in  Jerusalem,  certain  priests  were,  according 
to  the  Jewish  custom,  appointed  to  minister  in  it,  being  the 
same  in  number  as  the  letters  in  their  alphabet,  even  two 
and  twenty.^  On  this  account,  also,  the  Jews  reckoned 
that  there  were  two  and  twenty  divinely-inspired  books.- 
And  there  was  a  register^  laid  up  in  the  temple,  in  which  the 
name  of  each  of  the  priests  was  recorded;  as  well  as  that 
of  his  father  and  mother.  When,  now,  one  of  these  priests 
died,  the  others  assembled  in  the  temple,  and  chose  by  ballot 
another  in  place  of  the  dead,  to  fill  out  the  number  of  two 
and  twenty.  It  was  also  then  recorded  in  the  register  that 
on  such  a  day,  such  and  such  a  priest,  the  son  of  such  and 
such  a  father  and  mother,  had  died ;  and  that  in  his  place, 
such  and  such  a  one,  the  son  of  such  and  such  a  father  and 
mother,  had  been  chosen. 


'History  has  no  knowledge  of 
such  a  number  of  priests,  or 
courses  of  priests,  in  the  temple. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  division 
into  twenty-four  courses  is  given 
in  I  Chron.  xxiv;  is  alluded  to 
in  Luke  i.5,  also  is  mentioned  by 
Josephus,  Antiquities,  VII,  14,  7. 
It  is  probable  that  the  Greek 
author  of  (19)  tried  to  make  a 
point  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
number  of  priests  or  courses 
with  the  letters  of  his  alphabet, 
and  some  editor  who  noticed  the 
inappropriateness  of  this  in  what 
purported  to  be  a  Hebrew  doc- 
ument, changed  his  figures  to 
twenty-two. 

^The  division  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament books  into  this  number 
was  recognized  by  Josephus,  and 
generally  by  the  Jews  of  the  first 
Christian  century.  The  Tal- 
mudic  number,  however,  was 
twenty-four.  This  difference  of 
reckoning  may  also  have  had 
influence  in  producing  the   dis- 


crepancy referred  to  in  the  last 
note.  For  a  brief  and  clear  dis- 
cussion of  the  number  of  the 
Hebrew  books,  see  Encyclo. 
Brit.,  art.  "Bible." 

^Ezra  ii.62;  and  Neh.  vii.64; 
as  well  as,  Josephus  against 
Apion,  I,  7 ;  show  the  importance 
that  the  Jews  attached  to  fam- 
ily registers,  especially  of  the 
families  of  the  priests.  In  the 
text,  which  in  the  account  of 
Suidas  accompanies  this  apocry- 
phal fragment,  (19),  the  story 
is  told  that  the  register  men- 
tioned above  was  at  the  time  of 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  temple,  saved,  and  carried 
away  to  Tiberias  by  the  Jews; 
and  that  only  a  few  chosen  ones 
of  their  number  knew  of  its  exis- 
tence. Amongst  these  was  The- 
odosius,  a  prince  of  the  Jews, 
who  is  related  to  have  confessed 
the  fact  and  told  this  story  to 
Philip,  a  Christian,  during  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Justinian. 


CHRIST  NOMINATED  PRIEST  191 

Now  in  fulfilment  of  this  custom,  the  remaining  priests  (19) 
had  assembled  to  choose  another  in  place  of  the  dead.  And 
as  each  one  proposed  the  man  whom  he  held  to  be  most 
worthy  to  fill  this  office,  the  others  rejected  him  on  account 
of  his  lack  of  some  of  those  qualities  that  were  necessary. 
For  when  one  was  found  fit  in  life  and  manners,  but  was  not 
perfectly  instructed  in  the  law  and  the  prophets,  he  was 
declared  unworthy  of  the  priesthood.^  When,  now,  many 
priests  had  declared  their  nominations,  and  all  had  been 
rejected,  a  certain  one  rose  up,  and  placing  himself  in  the 
midst  of  the  others,  said  to  them,  "Behold,  many  have  been 
proposed  by  you  and  found  unfit  for  the  priesthood.  Listen 
then,  to  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  of  a  man,  who  is  worthy  to 
be  set  in  the  place  of  the  dead.  For  I  think  that  none  of  you 
will  be  against  the  choice  proposed  by  me."  And  when 
the  remaining  priests  invited  him  to  speak,  he  said,  "I  wojild 
that  in  place  of  the  dead  priest  there  be  set  Jesus,  the  son 
of  Joseph  the  carpenter.  He  is,  it  is  true,  young  in  years,^ 
but  he  is  distinguished  for  eloquence  of  speech,  and  for  his 
life  and  good  morals.  I  maintain  accordingly,  that  no  man 
is  his  equal,  so  eminent  is  he  in  these  respects ;  and  I  believe 
that  to  all  of  you  who  dwell  in  Jerusalem  this  is  known,  so 
that  nothing  can  be  said  against  it." 

^That  the  Jews  were  very  age,  according  to  the  Jews,  was 
careful  in  the  choice  of  their  the  beginning  of  complete  man- 
priests,  that  the  requirements  as  hood.  It  is  probable  that  the 
to  learning  were  exacting,  and  apocryphal  writer  here  intends 
that  life  and  manners  were  care-  to  represent  Christ  as  having  at- 
fully  scanned,  is  undoubtedly  true.  tained  that  age,  and  places  the 
See  Josephus,  Antiquities,  III,  incident  just  before  the  entrance 
12,  2;  Philo,  Op.  II,  p.  225.  As  on  the  public  ministry.  The  uni- 
te the  care  about  avoiding  bodily  versal  tradition  of  the  Catholic 
defects,  see  Lev.  xxi.17  seq. ;  church  is,  that  thirty  is  the 
Josephus,  Jewish  Wars,  V.  5,  7;  earliest  age  at  which  a  bishop 
Mischna  Middoth,  5:4.  can  be  consecrated,  representing 

^The   law   made   no  provision  the    fulness     of    the     Christian 

as  to  the  age  a  priest  must  reach  priesthood.    See  Canon  XIV  of 

before  he  could  enter  upon  his  the    Trullan    Council    of    a.    d. 

duties,   although  this   was   fixed  692. 
at  thirty  for  the  Levites,  which 


192       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

(19)  And  when  the  other  priests  heard  these  words,  they  heark- 
ened to  the  man,  and  confirmed  his  proposal,  whilst  they  said 
that  Jesus  was  above  all  the  fittest  for  the  priesthood.  But 
some  of  them  averred  that  he  was  not  of  the  tribe  of  Levi, 
but  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  by  which  they  meant  that  Jesus 
was  the  son  of  Joseph ;  for  so  was  it  believed  amongst  the 
Jews.^  For  all  testified  that  Joseph  descended  from  the 
tribe  of  Judah  and  not  from  the  tribe  of  Levi ;  and  on  this 
account,  because  Jesus  did  not  appear  to  be  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  they  objected  to  his  being  made  a  priest.  But  the 
priest  who  had  proposed  him,  answering  them,  said  that  his 
genealogy  was  a  mixed  one.  For  in  early  times  there  had 
been  a  commingling  of  the  families  of  the  two  tribes,  from 
which  the  family  of  Joseph  had  originated.^  Now  when  the 
other  priests  heard  this,  they  voted  for  the  one  proposed; 
an^  by  unanimous  consent,  it  pleased  them  all  to  choose 
Jesus  in  place  of  the  dead  priest.^ 

r  X  But  as  the  custom  was  that  not  alone  the  name  of  the  one 
made  priest  should  be  put  down  in  the  register,  but  also  that 
of  his  father  and  his  mother,  some  said  that  the  parents  of 
Jesus  must  first  be  summoned,  to  learn  from  their  own 
mouths  their  names,  as  well  as  to  ask  of  them  a  declaration 
as  to  whether  this  one  who  had  been  chosen  priest  was 

^Jewish   tradition   alleges  that  of    how    Christ    inherited    both, 

Christ    Himself    openly    taught  was  accordingly  invented, 

that  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph,  *It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  ap- 

as  against  the  calumnies  regard-  pearance  of  the  claim  that  Christ 

ing  His  parentage  that  were  cir-  had  actually  been  made  a  Jewish 

culated.  priest     was     almost     inevitable. 

'The  tradition  here  is  undoubt-  Such  passages  as,  Heb.  viii.3,  11, 
edly  derived  from  the  Testa-  15.  20;  viii.4;  x.ii,  seem  imme- 
ments  of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs,  diately  to  suggest  it.  It  has  also 
see  Simeon,  chap.  7;  Levi,  chap,  been  argued  that  Christ  would 
2;  Dan,  chap.  5;  Gad,  chap.  8;  not  have  had  the  book  delivered 
Joseph,  chap.  19.  See  also  Pseu-  to  Him  in  the  synagogue,  as  re- 
depigrapha,  Deane,  p.  189.  Ac-  corded  in  Luke  iv.16-20,  if  He 
cording  to  the  Jewish  view,  the  had  not  belonged  to  the  priest- 
royal  and  sacerdotal  dignities  hood.  Christ  is  represented  in 
must  be  united  in  the  Messiah,  priestly  garments  by  many  of 
and  this  very  early  explanation  the  older  painters. 


EVIDENCE  AS  TO  CHRIST'S  BIRTH        193 

their  son.  And  this  was  well  pleasing  to  all.  Thereupon, 
the  one  who  had  proposed  Jesus  as  priest  said  that  Joseph, 
the  father  of  Jesus,  was  dead,^  and  that  only  his  mother  was 
living.  All  agreed,  accordingly,  that  his  mother  should  be 
brought  into  the  council,  to  learn  of  her  whether  she  was 
the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  to  hear  the  name  of  her  husband, 
to  whom  she  had  borne  him.  So  they  summoned  the  mother 
of  Jesus,  and  said  to  her,  "Whereas,  such  and  such  a  priest 
hath  died,  the  son  of  such  and  such  a  one,  and  we  desire  to 
make  Jesus  thy  son  priest  in  his  stead,  it  is  the  custom  to 
record  the  names  of  his  father  and  mother.  Tell  us,  there- 
fore, whether  Jesus  is  thy  son,  and  whether  thou  hast  borne 
him,  and  the  name  of  his  father  to  whom  thou  didst  bear 
him,  in  order  that  the  name  of  Jesus  and  thy  name,  with 
that  of  the  father  to  whom  thou  didst  bear  him,  may  be  writ- 
ten in  the  register." 

Now  when  Mary  heard  these  words,  she  answered,  and  (19) 
said  to  the  priests,  "That  Jesus  is  my  son,  I  testify,  for  I 
have  borne  him ;  and  the  men  and  women  who  met  me  when 
I  bare  him,  will  testify  for  me,  that  he  hath  no  father  upon 
earth.  Receive  this  testimony  from  me,  if  it  please  you. 
For  when  I  was  a  virgin  and  dwelt  in  Galilee,  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  came  to  me,  in  the  house  where  I  was,  when  I  was 
awake  and  not  sleeping;  and  he  announced  to  me  that  I 
should  bear  a  son  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  commanded  me 
to  call  his  name  Jesus.  As  a  virgin  had  I  this  vision,  and 
conceived  and  bare  Jesus,  remaining  a  virgin  unto  this  day, 
even  after  bringing  forth." 

When  the  priests  heard  this,  they  had  trustworthy  mid-  (19) 
wives  come,  and  charged  them  strictly  to  examine  whether 
Mary  were  really  still  a  virgin.  And  these  testified  from 
the  examination  that  she  was  yet  a  virgin,  and  confirmed  it. 
There  came,  also,  those  who  were  present,  and  had  seen  it 
when  she  brought  forth,  who  testified  that  Jesus  was  her 
son.2 

'See  notes  on  this  subject  in      evidently  modelled  on  that  of  the 
the  preceding  chapter.  Apocryphal  Gospels. 

'See  chap.  V.    This  account  is 


194       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

(19)  Then  the  priests  were  amazed  at  that  which  Mary  and 
the  witnesses  testified  concerning  the  birth  of  Jesus.  And 
they  said  to  her,  "Tell  us  truly  whose  son  he  is,  in  order  that 
we  may  hear  it  from  thine  own  mouth,  and  so  record  it. 
For  whatever  parents  thou  namest  to  us,  these  and  no  others 
will  we  record."  Then  Mary  answered,  and  said,  "I  have 
indeed  borne  him,  and  knew  no  father  of  his  upon  earth ; 
but  from  the  angel  I  have  heard  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God. 
He  is  then  my  son,  who  am  called  Mary,  and  the  Son  of  God. 
And  I  am  still  a  virgin  as  if  I  had  not  been  married."  When 
the  preists  heard  this,  they  brought  the  register,  and  wrote 
therein,  as  followeth :  "On  this  day  died  such  and  such  a 
priest,  the  son  of  such  and  such  a  father  and  mother ;  and 
in  his  place,  by  the  unanimous  choice  of  all,  Jesus,  Son  of 
the  living  God  and  of  the  virgin  Mary,  was  made  priest."^ 
And  Jesus  ministered  with  the  priests  in  the  temple. 
(11)  Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius,  in 
(^4)  the  consulship  of  Albanus  and  Nerva,  when  Herod  was 
king  of  Judaea,  and  Caiaphas  high  priest,  that  John  the  fore- 
runner became  thirty  years  of  age.  And  they  said  of  him  that 
he  was  of  the  priestly  family  of  Aaron,  and  the  son  of  Zach- 
arias  and  Elisabeth.- 
(11)  And  John  went  to  every  city  and  village  preaching  tem- 
p^^  perance  and  the  baptism  of  repentance.  His  food  was 
locusts,  the  red  ones,  and  wild  honey,  the  taste  of  which  was 
like  unto  manna,  like  a  honey  cake  steeped  in  oil.^  He  had 
a  dress  of  camel's  hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle  was  about  his 
loins.     And  John  the  Baptist,  like  the  moon,  had  thirty 

*After  the  manner  of  so  many  of  the  Ebionites  as  reported  by 

of    the    later    apocryphal    docu-  Epiphanius,  adv.  Haeres.,  XXX, 

ments     forged     as     anti- Jewish  13.    There  are,  perhaps,  a  num- 

weapons,    this    was    intended    to  ber  of  other  Church  writings  that 

confute  absolutely  objections  to  contain  the  same  particulars.    It 

the  divinity  of  Christ.  differs  little  from  the  account  in 

^This  brief  paragraph,  I  have  Luke  iii.i,  2. 

formed     from    the    account    of  Trom     the     Gospel     of     the 

(n),  a  fragment  of  the  Gospel  Ebionites,  given  by  Epiphanius, 

of  Marcion  as   given  by   Thilo,  Haeres.,  XXX,  13. 
and   a   fragment   of  the   Gospel 


CHRIST  BROUGHT  TO  BAPTISM  195 

disciples,  even  as  Christ,  the  sun,  had  twelve.^  John  ap- 
peared before  Christ,  therefore,  as  the  herald  of  his 
approach,  and  preceded  him  in  the  way  of  baptism.  And  as 
he  baptized  unto  repentance  in  the  river  Jordan,  there  went 
out  to  him  to  be  baptized,  the  Pharisees,  and  all  Jerusalem, 
and  all  the  Jewish  region. - 

Behold,  then,  the  mother  of  the  Lord  and  his  brothers  (ig) 
said  unto  him,  "John  the  Baptist  baptizeth  for  the  forgive-  (24) 
ness  of  sins ;  let  us  go,  that  we  may  be  baptized  of  him." 
But  the  Lord  said  to  them,  "What  have  I  sinned  that  I 
should  be  baptized  of  him,  unless,  perhaps,  this  very  word 
which  I  now  speak  is  a  sin  of  ignorance?"  So  Jesus  was 
by  his  mother  Mary  almost  unwillingly  brought  to  the 
receiving  of  the  baptism  of  John.^  And  he  was  baptized  on 
the  sixth  of  the  month  Andynaeus,  or  January,  at  the  tenth 
hour  of  the  day,  in  the  consulship  of  Rufus  and  Rubellio, 
as  he  came  to  be  about  thirty  years  old.* 

Now  John  stood  above  the  waters  when  Christ  descended  (16) 
into  them  that  he  might  be  baptized  in  Jordan.^     And  im-  (^o) 

'From  Clem.  Hom.  I,  6.     But  time,  this  agrees  with  Luke  iii.23. 

the     tradition     is     probably     of  The     Church    writers     are    not 

Gnostic  origin,  as  the  significant  agreed  as  to  whether  this  means 

number,  thirty,  indicates.  that  he  had  finished  his  thirtieth 

''Parts    of   this    paragraph   are  year,    or   only   entered    upon   it. 

taken  from  various  sources,  but  See     Barradius,     Comment.     II, 

differing    so    slightly    from    the  lib.  I,  cap.  12.     Irenaeus,  Against 

canonical  accounts,  they  require  Heresies,  bk.  II,  22,  argues  that 

little  notice.  Christ's     Baptism    when     thirty 

^All   this   is   found   in   Jerome  years  old  was  not  a  type  of  the 

adv.    Pelag.   Ill,  2,  and   is   said  thirty  aeons,  as  the  Gnostics  al- 

by  him  to  be  derived  from  the  leged. 

Gospel  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  ^In  this  paragraph,  I  have  used 

^These  traditions  are  given  by  as  a   framework  the  account  of 

John  Malela  in  (24).    As  to  the  the    Baptism    contained    in    the 

date,  Jan.  6  is  the  prevalent  tra-  Syriac     Baptismal     Liturgy     of 

dition,    but    Epiphanius    says    it  Severus,  as  given  by  Resell,  p. 

was  in  November,  and  Chrysos-  362  seq.,  which  see  for  extend- 

tom  and  Theophylactus,  that  it  ed  discussion  of  this  interesting 

was   in  the   Spring,   just  before  document.      As    to    the    locality 

the  passover  mentioned  in  John  where  the  Baptism  took  place  in 

ii.i3.     As  to  Christ's  age  at  the  Jordan,  Adrichomius  says  it  was 


196       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

mediately  there  shone  round  the  place  a  great  light;  and  a 
fire  was  seen  over  the  water,  so  that  all  who  were  gathered 
together  there  were  afraid.^  And  the  heaven  was  opened, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  flying  like  a  dove,^  descended 
and  rested  upon  the  head  of  the  Son,  and  brooded  over  the 
waters.^  And  when  John  saw  that,  he  said  to  Jesus,  "Who 
art  thou.  Lord?"  And  the  Lord  said  to  John,  "Come,  bap- 
tize thou  me."  Then  fell  John  down  before  him,  and  said, 
"I  pray  thee  Lord,  baptize  thou  me.  It  cannot  be  that  I 
should  commit  robbery."*  But  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Let  it 
be  so,  for  thus  it  behoveth  that  all  be  fulfilled.^  Only 
place  thy  right  hand  upon  my  head,  and  I  shall  be  baptized." 
And  John  as  a  blessed  priest  placed  his  hand  upon  the  head 
of  the  Lord,®  and  the  Son,  who  inclined  his  head,  was  bap- 


in  the  territory  of  Benjamin,  not 
far  from  the  Dead  Sea.  He  adds 
that  pilgrims  still  went  there  to 
bathe,  and  that  there  was  a 
chapel  there  dedicated  to  St. 
John.  Gregor.  Turon.  says  the 
place  was  five  miles  from  the 
Dead  Sea,  and  that  lepers  were 
still  in  his  time  healed  by  bath- 
ing there.  Boschardus  says  the 
place  was  two  miles  from  Jer- 
icho. 

^This  account  of  the  light 
which  shone  round  the  place,  and 
of  the  fire  which  was  kindled 
over  the  water,  represents  one 
of  the  most  ancient  and  widely 
disseminated  traditions.  Justin 
Martyr,  Trypho,  c.  88;  Pseudo- 
Cyprian;  and  the  Sibylline  Ora- 
cles, VII,  81-83;  mention  the 
fire :  and  Epiphanius ;  Codex 
Vercellensis ;  Codex  Sangerma- 
nensis;  Ephraem  Syrus;  and 
Severus  Alexandrinus;  the  light. 
For  complete  references  to  these, 
see  Resch,  p.  357  seq.  The  story 
of  the  light  and  fire  is  plainly 


suggested  by  the  account  of  the 
descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  canonical  Gospels.  See  John 
i.29-34  and  parallel  passages ; 
also  the  references  to  the  true 
light  in  close  connection  with 
this  in  John  i. 

^Barradius,  p.  48,  gives  a  mul- 
titude of  reasons  why  the  dove 
was  chosen  as  the  symbol  of 
the   Holy    Spirit. 

^This  addition  in  the  Liturgy 
of  Severus  is  suggested  by  Gen. 
i.2. 

*This  strange  sentence,  said 
by  the  Liturgy  of  Severus  to 
have  been  uttered  by  John, 
"Fieri  non  potest  ut  rapinam 
assumam,"  has  no  parallel  in 
other  accounts  of  which  I  know. 
Cf.  Phil.  ii.6. 

"From  the  Gospel  of  the 
Ebionites,  Epiphanius,  Haeres., 
XXX,    13. 

"Ancient  pictures  of  the  scene 
sometimes  represent  John  as 
pouring  water  upon  Christ's 
head  from  a  shell. 


CHRIST  BAPTIZED  BY  JOHN  197 

tized.  And  when  Jesus  ascended  out  of  the  water,  the  sun 
inclined  his  rays,  and  the  stars  adored  him  who  had  sanc- 
tified all  streams  and  fountains.^  And  there  was  a  voice 
from  heaven,  which  said,  "Thou  art  my  beloved  Son  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased,"  and  again,  "To-day  have  I  borne  witness 
to  thee."  And  the  Holy  Spirit  with  full  stream  came  down 
and  rested  upon  Jesus,  and  said  to  him,  "My  Son,  in  all  the 
prophets  was  I  waiting  for  thee,  that  thou  shouldst  come, 
and  I  might  rest  in  thee.  For  thou  art  my  rest.  Thou  art 
my  first-born  Son  who  reignest  forever."^  And  when  Jesus 
went  up  from  the  river  Jordan,  the  devil  came  and  tempted 
him,  even  so  far  as  to  say  to  him,  "Worship  me."  And 
Christ  answered  him,  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  ;  thou  shalt 
worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve."' 

And  Herod,  hearing  that  John  was  beyond  the  Jordan  (n) 
baptizing,  sent  for  him,  and  questioned  him,  saying  "Art  ^^"^ 
thou  John,  the  son  of  Zacharias?  Knowest  thou  not  that 
thy  life  is  in  my  power?"  But  John  boldly  said  to  him,  "I 
am  the  son  of  Zacharias,  whose  blood  thou  didst  pour  out  in 
the  temple  of  God,  which  crieth  out  concerning  thee,  thou 
lawless  one.  Be  ashamed,  because  thou  tookest  the  wife  of 
thy  brother  Philip,  and  didst  not  fear  God."  Then  Herod 
scourged  John,  and  threw  him  into  prison.  And  when  Jesus 
heard  that  John  was  cast  into  prison,  he  departed  into 
Galilee. 

^The  idea  that  water  was  first  tary  on  Isaiah,  lib.  IV,  xi.2,  as 
sanctified  for  use  in  baptism  by  being  from  the  Gospel  of  the 
the  Baptism  of  Christ  in  Jordan,  Nazarenes.  As  already  stated 
is  referred  to  by  many  Church  in  the  notes  on  the  Epiphany, 
writers.  See  the  prayer  for  the  the  Baptism  of  Christ  is  com- 
sanctification  of  the  water  in  the  memorated  on  that  date,  Jan. 
baptismal  service  of  the  Angli-  6,  by  both  the  Eastern  and  West- 
can  church.  Jerome  says,  Let-  em  churches. 
ter  cviii,  that  the  Lord  had  'It  is  strange  that  the  story 
cleansed  by  His  Baptism  waters  of  the  Temptation  is  not  found 
which  the  deluge  had  polluted.  distinctly  elaborated  in  apocry- 
See  also  note  on  Christ's  Bap-  phal  literature.  A  part  of  the 
tism  in  chap.  VIII.  matter  in   chap.   XXI,   however, 

''The  last  three   sentences  are  may  originally  have  been  intend- 

given  by  Jerome  in  his  commen-  ed  to  refer  to  it 
17 


198       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

(16)  After  this  it  came  to  pass  that  Jesus  was  walking  by  the 
A2)  sea  of  Tiberias  near  Capernaum.  Now  Andrew,  the 
brother  of  Simon  Peter,  and  son  of  Jonas  and  Johanna,  of 
the  tribe  of  Simeon,^  had  heard  from  John  that  Jesus  was 
the  Lamb  of  God.  Now  he  was  large  in  person,  a  little 
stooped,  having  a  large  nose  and  high  eyebrows.  And  he 
was  moved  through  wonder  at  this,  and  at  the  appearance 
of  John,  so  that  he  went  hastily  to  his  brother.  And  when 
he  had  told  Peter^  of  Christ,  he  persuaded  him  that  he  should 
go  with  him  to  see  Jesus.  Now  Peter  was  bald  as  to  his 
head,  but  with  full  beard  and  much  hair  about  his  face, 
tawny  like  that  of  a  lion.  And  they  were  both  fishermen  of 
the  village  of  Bethsaida. 
(20)  And  they  were  upon  this  day  on  board  the  boat  mending 
^■^^^  their  nets,  for  they  went  about  the  lake  to  catch  fish.  And 
there  were  with  them  Evodius^  and  Alexander,  their  kins- 
men, and  Rufus*  also,  aiding  them,  for  the  boat  and  nets 
were  Peter's  and  the  others  were  under  him  as  workmen. 


^Most  of  these  particulars  as 
to  the  apostles  are  ultimately- 
derived  from  the  Apostolic  His- 
tories of  Abdias,  see  Fabricius, 

I,  p.   402    seq. ;    or    Migne,   vol. 

II,  under  separate  titles,  for 
French  translations.  The  name 
of  Andrew's  mother,  I  take 
from  Cod.  Bibl.  Reg.  Paris, 
Cotelerius.  It  deserves  no  esti- 
mation as  an  ancient  source. 
His  tribe  is  mentioned  by  Epi- 
phanius,  see  Lipsius,  I,  p.  575 ; 
and  the  personal  description  is 
from  the  same,  p.  577.  The 
newly-discovered  Gospel  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  Harris  in  Con- 
temporary Review,  LXXXVI, 
p.  806,  assigns  Andrew  to  the 
tribe  of  Zebulon,  just  as  it  fan- 
cifully distributes  all  the  twelve 
apostles  among  the  twelve 
tribes.    I    shall    mention    these 


in  succession,  but  they  deserve 
little  attention. 

''The  Gospel  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  illogically  assigns 
Peter  to  the  tribe  of  Reuben. 
Many  descriptions  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance  are  extant. 
For  discussion  of  them,  see  Lip- 
sius, II,  213,  216,  80. 

*This  name  is  given  as  sixty- 
third  in  the  list  of  the  Seventy. 
He  was  undoubtedly  the  first 
bishop  of  Antioch,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  that  see  by  St.  Peter. 

*The  author,  I  suppose,  in- 
tends these  to  be  identified  with 
the  men  of  the  same  names  men- 
tioned in  Mark  xv.21.  For  the 
legends  of  Rufus,  see  Lipsius, 
II,  222,  422.  For  Alexander,  see 
do,  I,  553,  621.  Their  legends 
are  closely  intertwined  with 
that  of  Andrew. 


PETER  AND  ANDREW  CALLED  199 

And  as  the  Lord  Jesus  came  by,  he  called  unto  Peter  and 
Andrew  his  brother,  saying,  "Come,  follow  me,  and  I  will 
make  you  fishers  of  men,"^  And  when  they  heard  the  gentle 
voice  of  the  Lord  calling  them,  they  stayed  not  at  all,  but 
bade  farewell  to  everything,  and  to  the  boat,  and  came  to  the 
shore,  and  followed  him.  Evodius,  Rufus,  and  Alexander, 
also,  departed  no  more  to  their  fathers,  but  went  and  fol- 
lowed their  fathers  the  apostles,  and  ministered  to  Christ 
in  all  that  he  might  command  them. 

Now  Andrew  was  unmarried,^  but  Peter  had  taken  to  wife  (16) 
Perpetua,  the  daughter  of  Aristobulus,  who  was  a  brother  p°^ 
of  Barnabas  who  afterwards  became  an  apostle.  And  by 
her  he  had  a  son,  and  a  daughter  named  Petronilla,  who 
was  a  paralytic  and  very  fair  to  look  upon.^  Now  Peter's 
name  was  formerly  called  Simon,  but  when  the  Lord  called 
him,  he  added  unto  him  two  other  names,  Peter  and  Cephas, 
so  that  his  names  became  three. 

And  when  Jesus  had  chosen  Peter  and  Andrew,  he  came  (16) 
to  John  and  his  brother  James,  who  were  also  fishermen  p°) 
of  Bethsaida.  Now  they  were  in  a  ship  with  their  father 
Zebedee,  who  was  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulon  ;■*  and  their  mother 
was  Salome,^  the  daughter  of  Joseph.  And  Zebedee  had 
Vv^ished  his  son  John  to  marry,  but  Jesus  prevented  him  by 
the  heavenly  call.  For  John  had  lived  most  chastely  from 
his  youth,  therefore  Jesus  loved  him  above  all  his  disciples.® 

^See  Mark  i.17.  Paris,  Cotelerius,  names  Hiero- 

*See  Lipsius.  klea   here.    For   tradition   as   to 

'For    references   to   these   leg-  Salome,     see     Lipsius,     E,     26. 

ends,    see    Lipsius,    under    titles  Their  mother's    name   was   also 

"Peter"  and   "Petronilla."    Leg-  given   as   Bronte    (thunder),   in 

end  has  a  good  deal  to  say  about  allusion  to  Mark  iii.17.    See  Lip- 

the  latter.     The  name  Perpetua,  sius,  E,  27. 

for  Peter's  wife,  is  found  in  an-  'This  tradition  is  many  times 

cient   tradition.  repeated    in    apocryphal    litera- 

*The    Gospel    of    the    Twelve  ture,     and     will     be     mentioned 

Apostles    says    that    they    were  again  in  this  work.     See  follow- 

from  the  tribe  of  Issachar.    For  ing  chapter  for  account  of  the 

tradition  as  to  tribe  of  Zebulon,  manner    in    which    Christ    pre- 

see  Lipsius,  E,  20.  vented     the     consummation     of 

"The   list   in   Cod.   Bibl.   Reg.  John's     marriage.    I     refer     in 


200      PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

For  Jesus  said  unto  John  and  James,  "I  have  need  of  you ; 
come  unto  me."  Then  James,  hearing  this,  said,  "John, 
what  would  this  child  have,  that  called  to  us  from  the 
shore?"  And  John  said,  "What  child?"  And  James  said  to 
him  again,  "The  one  that  is  beckoning  to  us."  And  John 
answered,  "Because  of  our  long  watch,  which  we  have  kept 
at  sea,  thou  seest  not  aright,  my  beloved  James.  Seest  thou 
not  the  man  that  standeth  there,  fair  and  comely  and  of  a 
cheerful  countenance?"^  But  James  said  to  him,  "Him  I 
see  not,  brother ;  but  let  us  go  forth,  and  we  shall  see  what 
it  meaneth."  And  so,  when  they  had  brought  the  ship  to 
land,  they  saw  Jesus  also  helping  along  with  them  to  settle 
the  ship. 

(20)  Now  when  they  departed  from  the  place,  wishing  to  fol- 
low Jesus,  again  he  was  seen  of  John  as  having  a  head  rather 
bald,  but  a  thick  and  flowing  beard.  But  to  James  he  ap- 
peared as  a  youth  whose  beard  was  newly  come.  They 
were,  therefore,  perplexed,  both  of  them,  as  to  what  that 
should  mean  which  they  had  seen.  And  as  they  followed 
him,  both  of  them  by  little  and  little  became  more  perplexed 
as  they  thought  upon  the  matter.  Yet  unto  John  there 
appeared  this,  which  was  still  more  wonderful ;  for  he  would 
try  to  see  Jesus  in  private,  yet  he  never  at  any  time  saw  his 
eyes  closing,  but  only  open.  And  oftentimes  he  appeared 
to  John  as  a  small  man  and  uncomely,  and  then  again  as  one 
reaching  to  heaven. 

(20)  Also  there  was  in  him  another  marvel.  When  John  sat 
at  meat,  Jesus  would  take  him  upon  his  breast,^  and  John 
would  consider  with  himself;  and  sometimes  his  breast  was 
felt  of  him  to  be  smooth  and  tender;  and  sometimes  hard 
like  stones,  so  that  he  was  perplexed  in  himself,  and  said, 
"Wherefore  is  this  so  unto  me?"     And  another  glory  did 

brief  for  these  legends  to  Lip-  Docetic  writer  of  (20)  here  uses 

sius  under  title  "Johannes,  Apos-  this    fact   as    a    confirmation    of 

tel,  Herkunft."  his  views  as  to  the   unsubstan- 

^Tradition    has    always    been  tial    and   phantasmal   nature   of 

two-fold    as   to   the    Lord's    ap-  the  Christ, 

pearance.       See     closing     para-  ^Cf.  John  xiii.25;  xxi.20. 
graphs    of    this    chapter.      The 


PARTICULARS  ABOUT  THE  APOSTLES  201 

John  tell.  Sometimes  when  he  would  lay  hold  of  Jesus,  he 
met  with  a  material  and  solid  body.  And  at  other  times 
again  when  he  felt  him,  the  substance  was  immaterial, 
bodiless,  and  as  it  were  not  existing  in  any  wise.  And  often 
when  John  was  walking  with  Jesus,  he  wished  to  see 
whether  the  print  of  his  foot  appeared  upon  the  earth,  (for 
he  saw  him  raising  himself  from  the  earth,)  and  he  never 
saw  it.^ 

And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  Capernaum,  he  entered  (16) 
into  the  house  of  Simon,  who  was  surnamed  Peter,  and  said, 
"As  I  passed  along  the  lake  of  Tiberias,  I  chose  John  and 
James,  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  Simon  and  Andrew,  and  Thad- 
daeus,  and  ^imon  Zolotes,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  and  thee, 
Matthew,  I  called  as  thou  wast  sitting  at  the  receipt  of 
custom,  and  thou  followedst  me.  You,  then,  I  wish  to  be  of 
my  twelve  apostles  for  a  testimony  unto  Israel."^ 

Now  Thaddaeus,  who  is  also  called  Judas  and  Lebbaeus,  (16) 
was  the  brother  of  the  Lord  according  to  the  flesh,  and  had  ^^^' 
received  the  baptism  of  John.^ 

Simon  Zelotes,  who  was  also  called  the  Canaanite  and  (16) 
Nathanael,  was  of  Cana  of  Galilee,  his  parents  being  Al-  '^°^ 
phaeus,  and  Mary  the  daughter  of  Cleophas,  of  the  tribe  of 
Asher.     And  these  it  was  who  bade  Jesus  and  his  disciples 
to  the  wedding  feast.* 

^I  John  i.i  has  doubtless  sug-  parents    were    Necrophanes    and 

gested   the   fabrication   of   these  Selene.     He  is  also  given  fourth 

Docetic  tales.  in  the  list  of  the  Seventy.     He 

"From     the     Gospel     of     the  is    again    identified    v^^ith    Bar- 

Ebionites    as    given   by   Epipha-  sabas  and  Levi.     I  cannot  pre- 

nius,  Haer.,  XXX,  13.  tend    to    refer    to    the    different 

^These  identifications  are  gen-  legends    on    this    intricate    sub- 

erally  made  in  apocryphal  litera-  ject,   but   give   a   general   refer- 

ture.      We   shall   have   more   of  ence  to  the  titles  "Thaddaeus," 

Thaddaeus    as    the    apostle    of  and  "Judas  Jakobi,"  in  Lipsius. 

Edessa.     In   the    Gospel   of  the  *These       identifications       are 

Twelve  Apostles,   he   is   said  to  made    in    apocryphal    literature, 

be  from  the  tribe  of  Judah.   Ac-  also    with    Simon    Clopas.      The 

cording  to  the  Cod.  Bibl.,  Cote-  tradition    which    identifies    him 

lerius,  which  identifies  him  with  with  the  bridegroom  at  the  mar- 

Lebbaeus,  but  not  with  Jude,  his  riage   in   Cana,   is   ancient   and 


202       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 


(i6)      And  he  whose  very  name  is  not  worthy  to  be  uttered, 

(42)  Judas  the  traitor,  was  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  and  from  the  city 

of  Sekharyut.   And  he  bare  the  purse ;  but  was  a  thief,  and 

stole  that  which  was  given  Jesus  and  the  apostles.^ 

(16)      Matthew  the  pubHcan,  who  was  also  called  Levi,  was  de- 

^^°^  scended  from  the  tribe  of  that  name.     His  father  was  called 

Rufus  and  his  mother  Chirothea ;  and  they  dwelt  in  Galilee.^ 

(16)      And  the  other  four  apostles  were  Bartholomew,  Philip,  and 

^^°^  Thomas,  with  James^  the  brother  of  the  Lord,  who  was  also 

called  the  son  of  Alphaeus.     He  was  a  stonecutter  by  trade.* 

(16)      Bartholomew  came  from  Endor.     He  was  by  calling  a 

(30)  herdsman,  and  his  parents,  Sosthenes  and  Urania,  were  of 

the  tribe  of  Issachar.^ 
(16)      Philip  was  from  Bethsaida,  being  a  fellow  countryman 
(30) 

tribe  of  Naphtali.  See  Lipsius, 
for  many  traditions.  I  make 
this  general  reference  for  all 
the   remaining  apostles. 

'The  Gospel  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  assigns  these  respec- 
tively to  the  tribes  of  Simeon, 
Joseph,  Benjamin,  and  Levi. 
The  fanciful  names  given  to  the 
parents  come  from  Cotelerius,  as 
do  the  trades  which  are  assigned 
to  three  of  them.  He  also 
speaks  of  Philip  as  coming  from 
Bethsaida,  and  gives  the  origin 
of  Thomas  as  being  from  An- 
tioch. 

*James  the  brother  of  the 
Lord,  and  James  of  Alphaeus 
are  not  always  identified  in 
apocryphal  legend.  The  former 
is  given  first  in  the  list  of  the 
Seventy. 

''Literature  concerning  him  is 
very  extensive;  he  is  also  iden- 
tified with  Nathanael,  which,  I 
think,  best  agrees  with  the  canon- 
ical accounts. 


wide-spread.  The  Gospel  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles  gives  his  der- 
ivation from  the  tribe  of  Asher, 
others  from  Ephraim,  see  Lip- 
sius, E,  20,  to  which  work  I 
make  a  general  reference.  In 
the  document  which  several 
times  I  have  quoted  from  Co- 
telerius, his  father  is  called  Gal- 
lion,  or  Zeus,  and  mother,  Am- 
mia,  and  he  is  said  to  be  from 
the  village  Salem. 

^1  have  given  a  lengthy  synop- 
sis of  the  mediaeval  legend  of 
Judas  in  the  notes  on  chap.  X. 
That  is  not  consistent  with  the 
brief  account  given  here.  That 
he  was  from  the  tribe  of  Dan,  is 
stated  in  the  Gospel  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles.  Lipsius  also 
gives,  E,  21,  the  tradition  that 
he  was  of  Gad. 

"This  is  the  tradition  given  by 
Cotelerius.  His  native  place  is 
variously  given  as  Jerusalem, 
Nazareth,  Capernaum,  and 
Berytus.  Gospel  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles  says  he  was  from  the 


THE  SEVENTY  DISCIPLES 


203 


of  Andrew  and  Peter.  He  was  by  trade  a  coachman,  and 
his  parents  were  Philisanon  and  Sophia,  of  the  tribe  of 
Joseph.     He  had  a  sister  named  Mariamne.^ 

Thomas,  who  by  the  Lord  was  named  Didymus,  came  (16) 
from  the  city  of  Paneas,  in  GaHlee.     His  father  was  Di-  ^^°^ 
ophanes  and  his  mother  Rhoa.     He  had  a  sister  called  Lysia, 
and  his  parents  were  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.^ 

And  besides  the  twelve,^  Christ  had  other  disciples  who  (16) 
were  seventy  in  number.*     And  the  Lord  himself  baptized  ^^^^ 


'Philip  is  also  given  seventh 
in  the  list  of  the  Seventy. 

^Thomas  is  often  identified 
with  Jude  in  apocryphal  writ- 
ings. The  name  of  his  sister,  it 
will  be  observed,  is  the  same  as 
that  of  one  of  the  sisters  of  the 
Lord. 

^Augustine  says  that  Christ 
chose  twelve  apostles,  not  alone 
because  there  were  twelve  tribes 
in  Israel,  but  also  because  the 
four  /divisions  of  the  earth, 
north,  south,  east  and  west,  mul- 
tiplied by  the  number  of  the 
Trinity,  make  twelve.  Kessaeus, 
Sike,  n.  p.  (61),  thus  gives 
the  Mohammedan  version  of  the 
call  of  the  apostles :  Christ  was 
walking  by  the  sea-shore,  and 
saw  certain  fullers.  Going  to 
them.  He  said,  "Ye  cleanse  your 
garments,  but  do  not  the  same 
with  your  hearts."  Therefore 
they  believed  in  Him  and  became 
witnesses  of  His  Gospel.  Their 
names  were :  bimeon,  Lucas, 
Petrus,  Thomas,  Matthaeus,  Jo- 
hannes, Jacobus,  Jonas,  Geor- 
gius,  Hannas,  Honein,  and 
Paulus. 

*(42)  says  that  these  were 
seventy-two.  The  list  of  the 
Seventy,  as  found  in  the  works 


attributed    to     Hippolytus,    and 
elsewhere,  is  as  follows : 

1.  James,  brother  of  the  Lord, 
Bishop   of  Jerusalem. 

2.  Cleophas,  a  cousin  of 
Christ,  who  accompanied  Him 
to  Emmaus,  successor  of  James. 

3.  Matthias  of  Bethlehem,  ap- 
pointed in  place  of  Judas  Iscar- 
iot,  preached  the  Gospel  in  Ethi- 
opia, and  died  a  martyr. 

4.  Thaddaeus,  disciple  of 
Thomas,  who  carried  the  epis- 
tle of  Christ  to  Edessa,  to  Ab- 
gar,  and  became  the  apostle  of 
the   Syrians. 

5.  Ananias,  who  baptized  Paul, 
Bishop  of  Damascus. 

6.  Stephen,  the  first  martyr. 

7.  Philip,  one  of  the  seven 
deacons  at  Jerusalem,  and  after- 
wards Bishop  of  Trallium,  in 
Asia. 

8.  Prochorus,  one  of  the  seven 
deacons  at  Jerusalem,  and  after- 
wards Bishop  of  Nicomedia,  in 
Bithynia. 

9.  Nicanor,  also  one  of  the 
deacons,  who  died  when  Stephen 
suffered  martyrdom. 

ID.  Timon,  another  deacon, 
Bishop  of  Bostra  or  Beroea;  was 
burned. 


204       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 


Peter,   and   Peter   Andrew,   and   Andrew   John,   and  they 


11.  Parmenas,  another  deacon, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  SaH. 

12.  Nicolaus,  another  deacon, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Samaria 
and  apostate. 

13.  Barnabas,  companion  of 
Paul,  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Milan. 

14.  Mark,  the  evangelist,  to- 
gether with  Peter  at  Rome, 
founder  of  the  congregation  at 
Alexandria,  a  martyr  under 
Nero. 

15.  Silas,  who  accompanied 
Paul,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Cor- 
inth. 

16.  Luke,  the  evangelist  and 
painter,  accompanied  Paul,  died 
in  Bithynia,  or  Greece. 

17.  Silvanus,  accompanied  Paul 
and  was  Bishop  of  Thessalonica. 

18.  Crescens,  who  helped 
Paul,  preached  the  Gospel  in 
Galatia  (Gaul),  and  founded  the 
church  at  Vienna,  or  was  Bishop 
of  Carchedon. 

19.  Epsenetus,  Bishop  of  Car- 
thage. 

20.  Andronicus,  Bishop  of 
Pannonia,  or  Spain. 

21.  Amplias,  Bishop  of  Odys- 
sus. 

22.  Urbanus  of  Macedonia. 

23.  Stachys  of  Byzantium. 

24.  Barnabas,  Bishop  of  Hera- 
clea. 

25.  Phygellus,  Bishop  of  Eph- 
esus.who  followed  Simon  Magus, 

26.  Hermogenes,  co-prisoner 
with  Paul,  Bishop  of  Megara,  a 
follower  of  Simon  Magus. 

2^.  Demas,  companion  of 
Paul,  apostate  and  priest  of 
idols. 


28.  Apelles,  Bishop  of  Smyrna. 

29.  Aristobulus   of   Britain. 

30.  Narcissus   of  Athens. 

31.  Herodion  of  Tarsus. 

32.  Agabus,   the   prophet. 
ZZ-  Rufus  of  Thebes. 

34.  Asyncritus  of  Hyrcania. 

35.  Phlegon,  Bishop  of  Mar- 
athon. 

36.  Hermes,  Bishop  of  Dalma- 
tia. 

yj-  Patrobulus,  Bishop  of  Pu- 
teoli  and  Naples. 

38.  Hermas,  Bishop  of  Phil- 
ippi. 

39.  Linus,  Bishop  of  Rome. 

40.  Caius  of  Ephesus. 

41.  Philologus    of    Sinope. 

42.  Olympas,  martyred  at 
Rome. 

43.  Rhodion,  together  with 
Peter  beheaded  at   Rome. 

44.  Lucius,  Bishop  of  Laodicea, 
in  Syria. 

45.  Jason,    Bishop    of   Tarsus. 

46.  Sosipater,  Bishop  of  Icon- 
ium. 

47.  Tertius,    his    successor. 

48.  Erastus,  first  at  Jerusalem, 
then  Bishop  of  Paneas. 

49.  Quartus,  Bishop  of  Be- 
rytus. 

50.  Apollos,  first  at  Corinth, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Cssarea. 

51.  Cephas,  opposes  Paul  at 
Antioch,  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Conia. 

52.  Sosthenes,  chief  of  the 
synagogue  at  Corinth,  after- 
wards Bishop  of  Colophon. 

53.  Tychicus,  Bishop  of  Chal- 
cedon. 

54.  Epaphroditus,  Bishop  of 
Andriace. 


CHRIST'S  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE        205 

James  and  the  rest.^     And  the  dress  which  the  master  gave 
to  his  disciples  was  a  mantle  only,  and  a  linen  cloth. - 

Now  some  said  of  Jesus  that  his  form  was  without  emi-  (^i) 
nence,  yea,  deficient  in  comparison  with  the  ordinary  form 
of  men ;  that  he  was  little,  ill-favoured,  ignoble.^     Yet  Len- 
tulus,  president  of  the  people  of  Jerusalem,  sent  this  letter 
concerning  him  to  the  Roman  senate  and  people  :* 

"There  hath  appeared  in  our  times,  and  still  is,  a  man  of  (-21) 
great  virtue  named  Christ  Jesus,  who  is  called  by  the  Gen- 


55.  Caesar  of  Dyrrachium. 

56.  Marinus  of  Apollonia. 

57.  Jesus  Justus,  or  Joses  Bar- 
sabas,  Bishop  of  Eleutheropolis. 

58.  Artemas  of  Lystra. 

59.  Clement    of    bardica. 

60.  Onesiphorus  of  Corone. 

61.  Tychicus,  Paul's  helpmeet. 

62.  Carpus,  Bishop  of  the 
church  in  Berytus,  in  Thrace. 

63.  Evodius   of   Antioch. 

64.  Aristarchus  of  Apamea,  in 
Syria. 

65.  Mark,  who  is  also  John, 
Bishop  of  Biblus. 

66.  Zenas    of   Diospolis. 

67.  Philemon,  to  whom  Paul 
wrote  his  epistle,  Bishop  of 
Gaza. 

68.  Aristarchus,  the  compan- 
ion of   Paul. 

6g.  Pudens,  beheaded  at  Rome 
under  Nero. 

70.  Trophimus,  Bishop  of 
Arelate,  beheaded  at  Rome  un- 
der Nero. 

^This  statement  is  found  in 
Clement  in  Moschus. 

°See  Tertullian's  elaborate  dis- 
quisition on  the  pallium,  or  man- 
tle, which  Christ,  according  to 
tradition,  directed  His  disciples 
to  wear. 

*There    were    early   traditions 


that  Christ's  personal  appear- 
ance was  repulsive.  Clement 
says  that,  "his  form  was  without 
eminence,  yea,  deficient  in  com- 
parison with  the  ordinary  form 
of  men ;"  the  other  words  I  have 
used  here  are  from  Celsus 
against  Origen,  VI,  75.  Proba- 
bly these  ideas  were  founded  on 
Is.  lii.14.  There  is  a  very  an- 
cient tradition  that  Christ  was  a 
leper. 

*This  late  document  well  sum- 
marizes the  prevalent  traditions. 
It  seems  to  be  mainly  founded 
on  Nicephorus,  Church  History, 
I,  40.  This  adds  the  particulars 
that  He  was  seven  spans  high, 
His  hair  was  yellowish  and  curled 
at  the  ends,  His  eyes  were  hazel, 
the  colour  of  His  face  was  yellow- 
brown,  His  neck  was  somewhat 
bent,  and  he  did  not  walk  per- 
fectly upright.  No  razor  had 
ever  touched  His  hair.  There  is 
a  similar  prosopography  by  Epi- 
phan.  Monach.,  p.  29 ;  another  by 
John  of  Damascus.  See  also 
Pseudolentulus.  There  is  an  ex- 
haustive work  on  the  subject  by 
Peignot,  Paris,  1829,  "Recher- 
ches  Historiques,"  etc.  Reiske, 
Jena,  1685,  also  wrote,  "De  Ima- 
gin.     Christi."     King  thinks  the 


2o6       PRIESTHOOD— BAPTISM— APOSTLES 

tiles  a  prophet  of  truth ;  whom  his  disciples  call  the  Son  of 
God,  raising  the  dead  and  healing  diseases.  He  is  a  man  of 
lofty  stature,  handsome,  having  a  venerable  countenance 
which  the  beholders  can  both  love  and  fear.  He  hath  wavy 
hair,  rather  crisp,  of  a  bluish  tinge  and  glossy,  flowing 
down  from  his  shoulders;  with  a  parting  in  the  middle  of 
the  head  after  the  manner  of  the  Nazarenes.^  His  forehead 
is  even  and  very  serene,  and  his  face  without  any  wrinkle 
or  spot,  and  beautiful  with  a  slight  blush.  His  nose  and 
mouth  are  without  fault ;  he  hath  a  beard  abundant  and 
reddish,  of  the  colour  of  his  hair,  not  long  but  forked.  His 
eyes  are  sparkling  and  bright.  He  is  terrible  in  rebuke, 
calm  and  loving  in  admonition,  cheerful  but  preserving 
gravity,  hath  never  been  seen  to  laugh  but  often  to  weep.^ 
Thus,  in  stature  of  body,  he  is  tall,  and  his  hands  and  limbs 
are  beautiful  to  look  upon.  In  speech,  he  is  a  grave,  re- 
served, and  modest,  and  he  is  fair  among  the  children  of 
men.^  Farewell," 
(i6)  And  Luke,  who  was  one  of  the  Seventy,  and  afterwards 
^•^°  wrote  the  Gospel,  painted  a  portrait  of  the  Lord,  as  well  as 
another  of  Mary  his  mother,* 

present  conventional  portrait  of  Thomas     Aquinas.      The     latter 
Christ  was  borrowed  from  that  says    such   a   picture   existed   in 
of  Serapis,  the  Lateran  at  Rome.     Another 
^The  Nazarites,  evidently,  are  alleged  painting  by  St.  Luke  is 
meant.  possessed  by  the  Benedictines  of 
*See  Luke  xix.41,  Vallombrosa,    and    still    another 
'See  Ps.  xlv.2.  by  one  of  the  Russian  cathedrals 
*We  shall  have  in  the  course  of    Moscow.     There    is    also    a 
of    this    work,    see    particularly  story    of    a    picture    of    Christ 
chaps.     XVI,     XVII,     XXXVI,  sketched  by  St.  Peter  on  a  nap- 
accounts  of  a  number  of  alleged  kin.       Eusebius     says,     Church 
portraits  and  representations  of  History,    VII,     18,     "We     have 
Christ.    The   statement  that   St.  learned  also  that  the  likenesses 
Luke   painted    such    portraits    is  of  the  apostles   Paul  and   Peter 
very    ancient.      See    Lipsius,    E,  and  of  Christ  Himself,  are  pre- 
84,  and  HI,  361.     It  is  found  in  served  in  paintings." 
Simeon    Metaphrastes    and    in 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST. 

Christ's  Announcement  to  the  People — The  Wedding 
AT  Cana — The  Wine  fails — He  turns  the  Water  to 
Wine — The  Apostles  confess  their  Faith — Their 
Hearts  fail — Christ  enters  the  Heathen  Temple 
— Animates  the  Sphinx — The  Patriarchs  convict 
THE  Chief  Priests — Cure  of  Man  with  Withered 
Hand — Veronica   cured — John   reproaches   Herod — 

Is  BEHEADED ChRIST    MOURNS VeRONICA's      StATUE — 

Burial  of  John. 

Main  Sources:  (6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  II. 

(ii) — Narrative   regarding  the  Beheading  of  John 

the  Baptist. 
(23) — Acts  of  Andrew  and  Matthias. 
(24) — Story  of  Veronica. 

And  Jesus  said  to  the  children  of  Israel,  'T  come  to  you  (^ ) 
with  evident  signs  of  my  mission  from  your  Lord;  I  will 
make  unto  you  of  the  slime  of  the  earth  the  figure  of  a  bird ; 
I  will  blow  upon  it,  presently  it  shall  be  a  bird,  and  by  the 
permission  of  God  shall  fly  ;^  I  will  heal  them  that  are  born 
blind,  and  the  leprous;  I  will  raise  again  the  dead;  I  will 
teach  you  what  ye  shall  eat,  and  what  ye  ought  not  to  eat. 
This  shall  serve  you  for  instruction,  if  ye  believe  in  God. 
I  am  come  to  confirm  the  Old  Testament,  and  what  hath 
been  taught  you  heretofore.     Certainly  it  is  lawful  for  you 

'This  paragraph,  I  have  taken  of  the  infant  miracle  treated  of 
entire  from  the  Koran,  Sura  iii.  at  length  in  chap.  IX,  will  be 
The    Mohammedan    echo    above      readily  recognized. 

(207) 


2o8      CHRIST'S    FIRST    PUBLIC    MIRACLES 

to  eat  things  that  have  heretofore  been  forbidden.^  I  am 
come  to  you  with  signs  of  my  mission,  that  testify  that  I 
am  truly  sent  from  your  Lord.  Fear  God,  and  obey  me ; 
God  is  my  Lord,-  and  your  Lord,  worship  Him ;  this  is  the 
right  way." 
(6)  Now  the  marriage  of  John  the  evangelist  was  at  Cana 
of  Galilee,^  and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  For  her 
sister,  Mary  Salome,  who  was  the  wife  of  Zebedee,  with 
urgency  invited  her  to  the  wedding,  because  John  was  the 
son  of  the  said  Salome.  And  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 
invited  to  the  wedding  of  John.  And  Christ  seated  himself 
at  the  middle  of  the  table,  because  he  did  not  wish  to  be  the 
chief,*  although  he  was  the  most  worthy ;  and  he  seated  him- 
self in  the  midst  of  those  who  served.^  And  when  they  had 
almost  supped,  the  parents  of  the  bridegroom  approached  to 
Mary,  as  being  of  good  courage,  because  she  was  their  sister. 
And  they  said  to  her,  "Mary,  our  sister,  what  shall  we  do? 
The  wine  hath  failed.     For  wine  it  is  that  maketh  glad  those 


^This  view  was  widely  held  by 
early  Christians.  Novatian  in 
his  treatise,  On  the  Jewish 
]Meats,  proves  that  these  restric- 
tions of  the  law  were  to  be  un- 
derstood and  interpreted  spirit- 
ually. 

''Observe  that  Mohammed's 
references  to  the  nature  of 
Christ  are  not  inconsistent  with 
orthodox  Christianity.  Cf.  I 
Cor.  XV.28. 

'I  have  supplied  in  this  para- 
graph, up  to  the  word  "supped," 
a  passage  from  the  fifteenth  cent- 
ury Vita  Christi,  given  in 
Migne,  Legendes,  col.  891.  This 
document  is  evidently  composed 
entirely  of  apocryphal  legends. 
I  do  not  know  the  source  of 
this  one,  but  it  fits  in  admir- 
ably with  the  account  of  (6), 
which  is  a  fragment  beginning 


here  abruptly,  and  ending  as 
abruptly  in  the  second  paragraph 
following,  where,  as  indicated,  I 
supply  its  conclusion  from  this 
same  source.  (6)  itself  con- 
tains no  reference  to  St.  John 
as  the  bridegroom.  Early  ref- 
erences to  the  story  that  our 
Lord  prevented  John  from  mar- 
rying are,  however,  many.  I 
refer  for  these  to  Lipsius  under 
title  "Johannes,  Herkunft."  The 
identification  of  the  bridegroom 
with  Simon  the  Canaanite  is  the 
more  widely  accepted  tradition. 
See  Lipsius,  III,  151.  Cf.  with 
this  whole  account,  John  ii.i-ii. 
In  the  Vita  Christi,  John  is 
everywhere  called,  "St.  John  the 
evangelist." 

^Cf.  Luke  xiv.8  seq. 

'^Cf.  Luke  xxii.27. 


THE  WATER  TURNED  INTO  WINE        209 

who  eat/  and,  behold,  it  hath  failed.  O  the  great  shame 
which  hath  befallen  us  to-day  in  the  midst  of  those  who  are 
bidden,  and  especially  because  of  thy  son,  for  we  were  not 
worthy  that  he  should  come  into  our  house^  until  to-day  to 
manifest  a  wonder  in  the  power  of  his  Godhead.  For  we 
believe  that  he  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  that  all  things 
are  possible  to  him."^ 

And  Mary  was  assured  that  Jesus  would  not  grieve  her  in  (6) 
anything  that  she  should  ask  him.  So  she  approached  the 
place  whereon  her  son  was  reclining,  and  worshipped  him. 
And  she  said  to  him,  "My  son,  my  beloved,  thou  whom  my 
soul  desireth,*  my  Lord  and  my  God !  Thou  art  bidden  as 
son  of  Mary ;  manifest  thy  power  as  Son  of  God.  Let  all 
the  nations  know  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God.^  My  son,  they  have  no  wine."  Then  Jesus 
said  to  his  mother  in  a  kindly  voice,  "Woman,  what  wilt 
thou  with  me?  Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come."  But  his 
mother  being  assured  that  he  would  not  grieve  her  in  any- 
thing, spake  with  those  that  served,  saying,  "That  which  he 
shall  say  unto  you,  do  it." 

Now  there  were  six  water-pots  of  stone  set  down  at  the  (6) 
marriage,  from  which  those  who  would  recline  were  purified 
before  they  reclined,  according  to  the  law  of  the  Jews.*'  And 
each  one  contained  two  or  three  firkins.  And  Jesus  said 
unto  them,  "Fill  the  water-pots  with  water."  They  knew 
straightway  that  he  would  manifest  a  wonder,  all  those  who 
reclined  beholding  it.  So  they  hastened  and  filled  the  water- 
pots  with  water,  being  troubled  because  he  was  the  chief 
of  those  who  reclined.'^  And  they  brought  them  to  Jesus, 
who  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  the  water-pots,*  and 
immediately  the  water  was  transformed  into  excellent  wine. 

'Cf.  Ps.  civ.15.  the  meaning  of  the  purification 

^Cf.  Mat.  viii.8;   Luke  vii.6.  mentioned  in  John  ii.6. 

^Cf.  John  iv.42.  ''Here  (6)   ends,  and  the  Vita 

*Cf.    Song   of    Sol.    1.7;     Mat.  Christi  begins  again. 

xii.18.  *A   mediaeval   touch   here,    of 

''Cf.  Mat.  xvi.i6.  course,but  as  we  shall  see  further 

'The    apocryphal    writer    has  on,  the  use  of  the   sign  of  the 

here  given  his  interpretation  of  cross  is  very  ancient. 


210        CHRIST'S  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES 

And  Christ  said,  "Give  of  it  first  to  the  governor  of  the  feast, 
and  afterwards  to  all  the  others."  For  this  governor  of  the 
feast  was  the  most  honourable  of  those  present,  after  Christ 
and  the  virgin  Mary;  he  was  steward^  of  the  wedding,  on 
which  account  it  was  commanded  that  they  should  give  to 
him  before  the  others.  When,  now,  the  master  of  the  feast 
had  drunken,  he  called  John,  and  said  to  him,  "Never  have 
I  seen  such  an  arrangement  at  a  wedding,  or  servants  acting 
as  they  do  here."  "Why?"  said  John.  "I  have  been  ac- 
customed to  see  them,"  said  the  governor  of  the  feast,  "give 
the  best  wine  at  the  commencement  of  the  feast,  but  ye  have 
given  it  at  the  end."  Then  all  the  people  who  were  present 
drank  of  this  wine.  And  the  disciples  believed  more  firmly 
on  him  than  they  had  before.  When  they  had  supped, 
Christ  called  John,  and  said  to  him,  "John,  leave  thy  wife 
and  come  after  me,  for  I  wish  to  bring  thee  to  a  grander 
wedding  than  this,  and  that  thou  mayest  know  what  it  is, 
it  is  my  passion." 

(n)  And  when  Jesus  knew  the  impiety  of  the  Jews  that  be- 
lieved not,  he  said,  "Who  shall  sustain  the  law  of  God,  in 
my  absence  ?  he  shall  be  supported  and  protected."  The 
apostles  answered  him,  "We  will  sustain  the  law  of  God; 
we  believe  in  the  divine  unity.  Be  thou  a  witness  before 
God,  that  we  resign  ourselves  wholly  to  the  pleasure  of  His 
divine  majesty.  Lord,  we  believe  in  what  thou  hast  com- 
manded. Write  us  in  the  number  of  those  that  profess  thy 
law."2 

/23)  And  it  came  to  pass  as  the  twelve  apostles  were  going 
with  the  Lord  into  a  temple  of  the  Gentiles  that  he  might 
make  known  unto  them  the  ignorance  of  the  devil,  that  the 
chief  priests,  having  beheld  the  disciples  following  Jesus, 
said  to  them,  "O  wretches,  why  do  ye  walk  with  him  who 
saith,  T  am  the  Son  of  God  ?'^     Do  ye  mean  to  say  that  God 

^In    the    French    of    the    Vita  ^This  story  from   (23)   is  told 

Christi,  "maitre  d'hotel."  throughout    in   the   first   person, 

^This  paragraph  is  taken,  with  being   narrated   by    Andrew.      I 

slight      alterations,      from      the  have  changed  it  to  the  third  per- 

Koran,  Sura  iii.  son,  and  have  made  a  few  other 


THE  SPHINX  IS  ANIMATED  211 

hath  a  son?  Which  of  you  hath  ever  at  any  time  seen  God 
associating  with  a  woman?  Is  not  this  the  son  of  Joseph 
the  carpenter,  and  his  mother  is  Mary,  and  his  brothers, 
James  and  Simon  ?"^  Now  the  hearts  of  the  apostles  were 
turned  into  weakness  when  they  heard  these  words.  And 
Jesus,  having  known  that  their  hearts  were  giving  way, 
took  them  into  a  desert  place,  and  did  great  miracles  before 
them,  displaying  to  them  all  his  Godhead.  And  the  apostles 
spake  to  the  chief  priests,  saying,  "Come  ye  also,  and  see; 
for,  behold,  he  hath  persuaded  us." 

And  the  chief  priests  having  come,  went  with  them.  And  (23) 
when  they  had  gone  into  the  temple  of  the  Gentiles,  Jesus 
showed  the  apostles  the  heaven,^  that  they  might  know 
whether  the  things  were  true  or  not.  And  there  went  in 
along  with  them  thirty  men  of  the  people,  and  four  chief 
priests.  And  Jesus  having  looked  on  the  right  hand  and  on 
the  left  of  the  temple,  saw  two  sculptured  sphinxes,  one  on 
the  right  and  one  on  the  left.  And  Jesus  turning  to  the 
apostles,  said,  "Behold  the  sign  of  the  cross,  for  these  are 
like  the  cherubim  and  seraphim  which  are  in  heaven."  Then 
Jesus,  having  looked  to  the  right,  where  the  sphinx  was, 
said  to  it,  "I  say  unto  thee,  thou  image  of  that  which  is  in 
heaven,  which  the  hands  of  craftsmen  have  sculptured ;  be 
separated  from  thy  place,  and  come  down,  and  answer  and 
convict  the  chief  priests,  and  show  them  whether  I  am  God 
or  man." 

And  immediately  the  sphinx  removed  from  its  place,  and  (23) 
having  assumed  a  human  voice,  said,  "O  foolish  sons  of 
Israel,  not  only  hath  the  blinding  of  their  own  hearts  not 
been  enough  for  them,  but  they  also  wish  others  to  be  blind 
like  themselves,  saying  that  God  is  man ;  who  in  the  begin- 
ning fashioned  man,  and  put  the  breath  into  all ;  who  gave 
motion  to  those  things  which  move  not.  He  it  is  who  called 
Abraham,  who  loved  his  son  Isaac,  who  brought  back  his 

slight  changes.    The  text  is  bad  wrong  with  the  text  here.     One 

in  several  places.  Ms.  reads,  "the  structure  of  the 

^See  Mark  vi.3.  temple,"  and  omits   the   follow- 

^There  seems  to  be  something  ing  clause. 


212        CHRIST'S  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES 

beloved  Jacob  into  his  land.  He  it  is  who  prepareth  great 
benefits  for  those  who  obey  Him,  and  prepareth  punishment 
for  those  who  believe  Him  not.  Pretend  not  that  I  am  only 
an  idol  which  can  be  touched  with  hands ;  for  I  say  unto  you, 
that  the  temples  are  more  excellent  than  your  synagogues.^ 
For  though  we  are  stones,  and  the  priests  have  given  us 
only  the  name  of  a  god ;  yet  those  priests  who  serve  the  tem- 
ple purify  themselves,  being  afraid  of  the  demons.  For  if 
they  have  become  ceremonially  unclean,  they  purify  them- 
selves seven  days,  because  of  their  fear ;  so  that  they  do  not 
come  into  the  temple  because  of  us,  on  account  of  the  name 
of  a  god  which  they  have  given  us.  But  ye,  if  ye  have  com- 
mitted fornication,  take  up  the  law  of  God,  and  go  into  the 
synagogue  of  God,  and  read,  and  do  not  reverence  the 
glorious  words  of  God.  Because  of  this,  I  say  unto  you  that 
the  temples  purify  your  synagogues,  so  that  they  also  become 
churches  of  His  only-begotten  Son." 

{2T,)  The  sphinx,  having  said  this,  ceased  speaking,  and  the 
apostles  said  to  the  chief  priests,  "Now  it  is  fitting  that  ye 
should  believe,  because  even  the  stones  have  convicted  you." 
And  the  Jews  answered,  and  said,  "By  magic,  these  stones 
speak,  and  do  not  ye  think  it  is  a  god?  For  if  ye  have  tested 
what  hath  been  said  by  the  stone,  ye  have  ascertained  its  de- 
ception. For  where  did  Jesus  see  Abraham,  or  how  did  he 
see  him?^  For  Abraham  died  many  years  before  he  was 
born,  and  how  doth  he  know  him  ?" 

(2::^)  Then  Jesus,  having  again  turned  to  the  image,  said  to  it, 
"Because  these  believe  not  that  I  have  spoken  with  Abra- 
ham, go  away  into  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  and  go  to  the 
double  cave  in  the  field  of  Mamre,^  where  the  body  of  Abra- 
ham is,  and  cry  outside  the  tomb,  saying,  'Abraham,  Abra- 
ham, whose  body  is  in  the  tomb,  and  whose  soul  is  in  para- 
dise, thus  speaketh  He  who  fashioned  man,  who  made  thee 

'One  Ms.  here  reads,  "Do  not  already  had,  in  chap.  XII,  one 

say  that   I  am   a   carved   stone,  apocryphal  gloss  upon  this  pas- 

and  that  ye  alone  have  a  name,  sage, 

and  are  called  high  priests."  ^This    is    the    version    in    the 

^Cf.  John  viii.52-58.   'We  have  Septuagint,  and  amongst  the  old- 


THE  CHIEF  PRIESTS  CONVICTED  213 

from  the  beginning  His  friend.  Rise  up,  thou  and  thy  son 
Isaac,  and  the  son  of  thy  son,  Jacob,  and  come  to  the  temple 
of  the  Jebusites,^  that  we  may  convict  the  chief  priests,  in 
order  that  they  may  know  that  I  am  acquainted  with  thee, 
and  thou  with  me  ?'  "  And  when  the  sphinx  heard  these 
words,  immediately  it  walked  about  in  the  presence  of  them 
all,  and  set  out  for  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  to  the  field  of 
Mamre,  and  cried  outside  of  the  tombs,  as  Jesus  had  com- 
manded it. 

And  straightway  the  twelve  patriarchs  came  forth  alive  (23) 
out  of  the  tomb,^  and  answered,  and  said  to  it,  *'To  which  of 
us  hast  thou  been  sent?"  And  the  sphinx  answered,  and 
said,  *T  have  been  sent  to  the  three  patriarchs^  for  testimony ; 
but  do  ye  go  in,  and  rest  until  the  time  of  the  resurrection." 
And  having  heard,  they  went  into  the  tomb,  and  fell  asleep. 
And  the  three  patriarchs  set  out  along  with  the  sphinx  to 
Jesus,  and  convicted  the  chief  priests.  And  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Go  away  to  your  places."  And  they  went  away.  And 
he  said  also  to  the  image,  "Go  up  to  thy  place."  And 
straightway  the  sphinx  went  up  and  stood  in  its  place.  And 
Jesus  also  did  many  other  miracles,  yet  they  did  not  believe 
in  him. 

And  Jesus  on  the  Sabbath  cured  one  who  had  a  withered  (n) 
hand.    For  he  was  a  mason,  seeking  his  livelihood  by  the 
labour  of  his  hands.  And  he  came  to  Jesus,  saying,  'T  pray 
thee,  Jesus,  to  restore  to  me  my  health,  that  I  may  not  beg 
my  bread  in  disgrace."* 

est    interpreters,    of    "Macpelah  eludes  them  above  amongst  the 

which    was    before    Mamre,"    in  twelve   patriarchs. 

Gen.  xxiii.17.  *These    particulars    are    given 

^I  can  see  no  particular  reason  by  Jerome  in  his  commentary  on 

why  this  ancient  people  is  spoken  the    incident    in    Mat.    xii. 10-13. 

of.    The  Jebusites  are  last  men-  He    says   that   he   derived   them 

tioned   in  the   O.    T.   in   I    Chr.  from    the    Gospel    used    by    the 

xix.23.  Nazarenes    and    Ebionites.      See 

*None  of  the  twelve  patriarchs  note,  chap.  XI,  regarding  Christ's 

were  buried  in  Macpelah.  cursing  one  who  retained  a  with- 

^i.  e.  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Ja-  ered    member.      The    word    "re- 
cob.    Apparently,  the  author  in-  stored,"    used    in    this    miracle, 
18 


214        CHRIST'S  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES 

(ij)  And  Justus,  surnamed  Barsabas,  swallowed  a  deadly 
poison,  and  received  no  harm  on  account  of  the  grace  of  the 
Lord.^ 

(n)  And  Jesus  when  he  uttered  a  single  word  was  thought 
by  nations  far  removed  from  one  another  and  of  different 
speech,  to  be  using  well-known  sounds,  and  the  peculiar 
language  of  each.^ 

(24)      Now  there  was  a  certain  very  wealthy  woman,  Veronica' 


probably  suggested  the  idea  that 
this  man  might  have  been  one 
who  had  before  this  time  been 
thus  punished  by  Christ.  . 

*This  is  given  by  Eusebius  in 
his  Church  History,  III,  39-  as  a 
tradition  preserved  in  the  writ- 
ings of  Papias,  which  are  now 
lost. 

"This  statement  is  made  by  Ar- 
nobius,  Against  the  Heathen,  I, 
46.  It  is  conjectured  that  this 
may  only  represent  a  confusion 
of  the  story  of  the  gift  of 
tongues  at  Pentecost,  with 
Christ's  works.  This  author 
rarely  quotes  any  scripture  with 
accuracy,  and  indulges  in  many 
of  what  appear  to  be  confused 
accounts  of  occurrences. 

^I  have,  in  the  following, 
changed  somewhat  the  order  and 
form  of  this  story  as  told  by 
(24),  but  have  followed  its  sub- 
stance closely,  weaving  the  par- 
ticulars given  in  Veronica's  let- 
ter into  the  narrative.  The  name 
Veronica  is  also  given  in  the 
forms  Beronika  and  Berenice. 
Mabillon  maintains  that  every 
early  portrait  of  Christ  was  called 
in  a  barbarous  jargon  of  Latin 
and  Greek,  vera  icon,  true  image, 
and  that  later  the  legend  of  the 
woman   Veronica   was   invented 


to  authenticate  some  of  these 
images.  Next  she  was  identified 
with  the  unnamed  woman  of 
Mat.  ix.20-22;  Mark  v.25;  Luke 
viii.43.  Ambrose  thinks  that  the 
woman  here  mentioned  was 
Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus. 
Origen,  in  his  treatise  against 
Celsus,  says  that  the  Valentinians 
speak  of  a  certain  Prounice, 
whom  they  call  "Wisdom,"  of 
whom  they  assert  that  the  wo- 
man of  the  Gospel,  who  had  an 
issue  of  blood,  was  a  symbol ; 
and  that  Celsus,  who  heard  this, 
and  confounded  the  ideas  of 
Greeks,  barbarians,  and  heretics, 
changed  them  into  the  virtue  of 
a  certain  virgin  named  Prounice. 
This  is  doubtless  the  true  origin 
of  the  name.  The  Recognitions 
of  Peter  also  speak  of  a  certain 
Bernice,  the  daughter  of  Justa, 
the  Canaanite.  Another  legend, 
again,  tells  that  she  was  daugh- 
ter of  Salome,  sister  of  Herod, 
and  was  martyred  in  Antioch. 
Eusebius  gives  the  substance  of 
all  this  particular  legend  in  his 
Church  History,  VII,  18,  but  he 
does  not  give  the  woman's  name. 
Other  developments  of  the  story 
are  many,  and  several  of  them 
will  be  given  in  succeeding 
chapters.     St.  Veronica  is  com- 


THE  HEALING  OF  VERONICA  215 

by  name,  who  dwelt  in  Paneas/  a  city  of  Judaea.  And  having 
from  childhood  been  afflicted  with  an  issue  of  blood,  she 
went  to  the  physicians,  expending  all  her  wealth,  yet  found 
no  cure.  But  hearing  at  last  of  the  cures  of  the  wonderful 
Christ,  who  raised  the  dead,  restored  sight  to  the  blind,  cast 
out  demons  from  mortals,  and  healed  with  a  word  all  who 
pined  away  in  sickness,  she  too  ran  to  him  as  to  a  god.  Ob- 
serving, then,  the  multitude  which  surrounded  him,  and  fear- 
ing to  tell  him  of  her  incurable  disease,  lest  turning  away 
from  the  loathsomeness  of  her  affliction,  he  should  be  angry 
with  her,  and  the  stroke  of  her  disease  come  worse  upon  her, 
she  thought  within  herself  that  if  she  could  but  take  hold  of 
the  hem  of  his  garment,  she  should  be  altogether  healed. 

So,  secretly  entering  the  multitude  around  her,  she  stole  (24) 
a  cure  by  touching  Christ's  hem.  The  fountain  of  her  blood 
stayed,  and  suddenly  she  became  well.  But  he  the  more,  as 
foreknowing  the  purpose  of  her  heart,  cried  out,  "Who  hath 
touched  me  ?  for  power  is  gone  out  of  me."  And  she,  turning 
pale,  and  groaning,  supposing  the  disease  would  return  upon 
her  more  violently,  falling  before  him,  flooded  the  ground 
with  tears,  confessing  her  daring.  But  he,  being  good,  had 
compassion  on  her,  and  confirmed  her  cure,  saying,  "Daugh- 
ter, take  heart,  thy  faith  hath  delivered  thee;  go  in  peace." 

Now  John,  being  at  this  time  in  prison,  pricked  Herod  the  (11) 
more  concerning  Polia,^  Philip's  wife.     And  Herod,  indeed, 
was  willing  to  loose  him,  and  Polia  did  consent  that  he 

memorated  in  the  Roman  church  ^It   is  quite   certain   from   the 

on   Feb.  3,   according  to   others  accounts  in  Mat.  xiv.8-ii;  Mark 

on  Feb.  4,  or  Mar.  25.  Her  legend  vi. 24-28,  as  well  as   from  other 

has  been  marvellously  developed  sources,  that  this  vv^oman's  name 

in  the  Revelations  of  Catherine  was    Herodias.     Nevertheless,    I 

Emmerich,    who    supplies    every  have    retained    here    the    name 

particular  regarding  her  life.  See  Polia    given    her    in    (11),    and 

further,        particularly,        chap.  have    given    with    it    the    name 

XXXVI,  and  notes.  Herodias  to  the  daughter,  as  it 

^Eusebius  refers  to  this  town  is  found  also  in  other  apocryphal 

as,  "Caesarea  Fhilippi  which  the  documents    that    will    be    used 

Phoenicians  call  Paneas."     It  is  further     on.       The     daughter's 

now  a  small  village  called  Ban-  name  was  probably  Salome, 
ias  by  the  Arabs. 


2i6        CHRIST'S  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES 

should  be  loosed,  but  the  servants  did  as  commanded,  and  for 
four  hours  suspended  John  upon  his  head,  smoking  him,  the 
divine  one.  But  John  said  to  Herod,  "Why  dost  thou  persist, 
when  convinced  by  the  truth?"  Herod  said,  "Of  what  truth 
speakest  thou  ?  Is  it  not  contained  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that 
if  the  brother  of  any  one  die  leaving  a  wife,  the  living 
brother  shall  take  her,  and  raise  up  for  him  seed  in  Israel?" 
But  John  said,  "Finely,  in  this  thou  tookest  heed  to  the  law 
of  God,  when  thou  didst  poison  thy  brother,  and  tookest  his 
wife.^  Besides,  also,  whilst  he  was  living,  she  committed 
adultery  with  thee.  Behold,  his  soul  crieth  out  to  God,  who 
is  ready  to  avenge  him,  so  that  thou  shalt  end  thy  life  miser- 
ably." And  Herod  was  much  grieved  over  these  things,  and 
wished  to  release  John, 
(ii)  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  Herod  celebrated 
(^4^  his  birthday,  and  during  the  banquet  commanded  his  daugh- 
ter to  dance  before  him.  And  when  she  had  done  so,  he 
swore  to  her  by  the  safety  of  all,  that  he  would  grant  her 
whatsoever  she  might  ask.  And  she  asked  her  mother,  who 
said  to  her,  "Ask  the  head  of  John  Baptist  upon  a  salver." 
And  when  she  brought  this  request  concerning  John  to  her 
father,  he  was  sore  grieved,  yet  on  account  of  his  oath  he 
sent  executioners  who  beheaded  him  in  the  city  of  Sebaste, 
on  the  eighth  before  the  calends  of  June,  in  the  consulship 
of  Flacco  and  Rufinus.^  And  when  it  was  told  Jesus  that 
John  was  dead  and  decapitated,  he  and  his  disciples,  and  his 
mother  who  loved  him  very  much,  began  to  weep.  And  she 
said  to  Jesus,  "Alas !  my  son,  why  didst  thou  not  keep  him 
from  death?"   And  he  said,  "Mother,  I  ought  not  to  have 

^Philip  I.  was  certainly  living  translated      to       Constantinople 

when    Herod    Antipas    took    to  under  Theodosius  the  Great.  The 

himself   the    former's    wife,   nor  Eastern    church    celebrates    the 

do  I  know  of  any  story  that  he  Decollation    on    May   25,    corre- 

was   accused   of  poisoning   him.  sponding  to  the  tradition  given 

*The    Western    church     cele-  here  from   (24).    Josephus  says 

brates    the    Decollation    of    St.  that  John  was  put  to  death  in 

John  Baptist,  on  Aug.  29.    This  the  castle  of  Machaerus,  which 

is  actually  the  date  upon  which  was  near  the  Dead  Sea.     Antiq. 

the  alleged  relics  of  John  were  XVIII,  5,  3. 


VERONICA  ERECTS  A  STATUE  217 

kept  him ;  for  he  is  dead  for  the  love  of  my  Father,  and  soon 
shall  he  be  in  the  glory  of  paradise  above."^  And  Herod  gave 
John's  head  upon  a  salver  to  Herodias,^  who  brought  it  to  her 
mother  Folia.  Then  Herod,  being  grieved  because  of  John, 
Mrent  away  from  the  city  of  Sebaste  to  Paneas. 

And  at  this  place  there  came  to  him  the  woman  Veronica,  (24) 
who  wished,  as  having  been  healed  by  Jesus,  to  erect  a  mon- 
ument to  him.  And  not  daring  to  do  this,  she  offered  a  peti- 
tion to  Herod,  telling  the  manner  of  her  cure  by  Jesus,  and 
asking  permission  to  erect  a  monument  to  the  Saviour  Christ 
in  this  same  city.  And  King  Herod,  hearing  these  things 
from  the  petition,  was  astonished  at  the  miracle.  And  being 
afraid  at  the  mystery  of  healing,  he  said,  "This  cure  which 
hath  befallen  thee,  O  woman,  is  worthy  of  a  very  great  mon- 
ument. Go,  therefore,  and  erect  unto  him  such  a  one  as  thou 
wilt,  honouring  by  thy  zeal  him  that  healed  thee."^ 

Immediately  after  this,  Veronica  erected  to  Jesus  Christ,  (24) 
in  the  midst  of  her  own  city,  Faneas,  a  monument  of  molten 
brass,  mingling  therewith  a  certain  portion  of  gold  and 
silver.  It  represented  a  woman  with  her  hands  stretched  out, 
as  if  she  were  praying.  Opposite  this  was  another  upright 
image,  made  of  the  same  material,  representing  a  man, 
clothed  decently  in  a  double  cloak,  and  extending  his  hand 

^This  passage,  I  have  interpo-  Jerome    is    said    to    state    that 

lated  here  from  the  Vita  Christi,  Herodias,     after     John's     death, 

which  I  have  several  times  used  pierced  his  tongue  with  a  bod- 

already.    It   is   found  in  Migne,  kin    to    avenge    herself    for    his 

Legendes,  col.  892.  words,  but  I  have  not  been  able 

^The  Vita  Christi,  in  the  same  to  verify  the  reference, 

connection    as    the    note    above,  ^This     last     sentence     is     evi- 

says    that    when    the    daughter  dently   suggested   by   the   words 

brought     John's     head     to     her  with  which  Eusebius,  Ch.  Hist., 

mother,    the    latter,    for    venge-  VII,  18,  closes  his  account  of  the 

ance,   took   it   by   the   hair,   and  incident :     "The    ancients    being 

with  great  fury  struck  it  above  accustomed,   as   it   is   liKely,  ac- 

the   right   eye   with   a   knife,   as  cording  to  a  habit  of  the  Gen- 

plainly   appears    from    the    head  tiles,  to  pay  this  kind  of  honour 

which  is  yet  to  be  seen  in  Pic-  indiscriminately  to  those  regard- 

ardy,    in    the    city    of    Amiens.  ed  by  them  as  deliverers." 


2i8        CHRIST'S  FIRST  PUBLIC  MIRACLES 

toward  the  woman.^  And  soon  after  this  wonder  appeared, 
that  a  certain  strange,  unknown  herb  of  wonderful  virtue 
sprang  up  near  the  statue,  cHmbing  to  the  hem  of  the  brazen 
cloak.  And  it  was  a  remedy  for  all  kinds  of  diseases.- 
(ii)  Now  his  disciples  had  come  by  night,  and  stolen  away  the 
body  of  John  Baptist,  whom  Herod  slew.  But  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  remained  with  Elisabeth,  and  said  unto  her,  "Arise, 
and  having  taken  the  body  of  thy  son,  bury  it  where  his 
father  resteth."  And  the  angel  led  the  way  for  her  to  the 
resting  place  of  Zacharias  in  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  even 
the  altar.  And  there  was  a  loud  voice  in  the  temple,  and 
suddenly  an  earthquake  and  thunder;  and  the  altar  was 
opened,  and  the  body  of  Zacharias  appeared.  And  Elisabeth 
buried  John  there,  underneath  the  altar.  And  the  Most 
High  called  her,  saying,  "Behold,  for  a  testimony  against 
Herod,  the  blood  of  thy  husband  shall  not  be  wiped  away 
forever,  and  no  man  shall  know  of  the  tomb  of  thy  husband 
and  of  thy  son."^ 


^I  have  here  added  to  (24)  the 
additional  particulars  about  this 
famous  image,  given  by  Euse- 
bius  in  the  passage  quoted  in  the 
last  note.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  Eusebius  saw  this 
statue,  and  honestly  believed 
that  it  vi'as  erected  in  honour  of 
Christ.  It  is  clear  from  other 
of  his  vi^ritings,  that  he  did  not 
approve  of  such  representations, 
so  the  wish  was  not  father  to  the 
thought.  Gieseler  says :  "Judg- 
ing by  the  analogy  of  many 
coins,  the  memorial  had  been 
erected  in  honour  of  an  emperor 
(probably  Hadrian),  and  falsely 
interpreted  by  the  Christians, 
perhaps  on  account  of  a  croTrjpt, 
or  ^eoJ,  appearing  in  the 
inscription.  Sozomen,  in  his 
Church  History,  V,  21,  gives  the 
later  history  of  the   statue.     It 


was  cast  down  by  Julian  the 
Apostate,  performed  many  mir- 
acles, and  the  fragments  were 
gathered  up  by  the  Christians, 
and  placed  in  a  church,  where 
he  says  they  were  still  pre- 
served. 

^This  is  spoken  of  by  Euse- 
bius. Some  maintain,  however, 
that  his  words  should  be  trans- 
lated so  as  to  refer  to  a  repre- 
sentation sculptured  upon  the 
pedestal,  and  not  to  an  actual 
plant. 

'This  is  a  strange  legend.  Je- 
rome says  that  in  his  time  the 
tomb  of  John  was  to  be  seen  in 
Sebaste,  or  Samaria,  see  Letter 
CVIII.  He  describes  the  mar- 
vels to  be  seen  there,  demons 
screaming  in  different  tortures 
before  the  tombs  of  the  saints, 
etc.     These  strange  phenomena 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  HEALING  OF  ABGAR,  AND  OTHER  MIRACLES. 

Abgar  King  of  Edessa  is  Sick  —  Hears  of  Christ's 
Cures — Writes  asking  Him  to  come  and  heal  him 
— Christ  gives  Ananias  the  Miraculous  Portrait — 
His  Letter  to  Abgar — Abgar's  Cure — Multitudes 
FOLLOW  Christ  —  He  multiplies  the  Loaves  and 
Fishes  —  Creates  Bread  at  Other  Times  —  Causes 
Heavenly  Table  to  descend — Turns  the  Doubters  to 
Swine — The  cooked  Fish  animated — Many  eat  of 
IT — The  Apparition  at  Gennesaret. 

Main  Sources:  (6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  III. 
(20) — Acts  of  John,  6,  8. 
(25) — History   of  Armenia,  by  Moses  of   Chorene, 

bk.  I,  chaps.  27-33. 
(26) — Story  concerning  the  King  of  Edessa,  by  Eu- 

sebius,  Church  History,  bk.  I,  chap.  13. 
(27) — Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostle  Thaddaeus. 
(29) — Mohammedan  Legends. 

Now  while  the  Godhead  of  Christ  was  proclaimed  among  (,5) 
all  men  by  reason  of  the  astonishing  mighty  works  which  he  (-6) 
wrought,  and  myriads,  even  from  countries  remote  from 
the  land  of  Judaea,  who  were  afflicted  with  sicknesses  and 
diseases  of  every  kind  were  coming  thither  in  the  hope  of 

to  be  seen  there,  are  also  men-  rusalem,  was  found  there  under 

tioned  by  Hilary,  Sulpicius,  and  the  emperor  Valens,  brought  to 

Paulinus.      Again,    legend    tells  Constantinople,  and  finally  por- 

that  the  head  of  John  was  in-  tions  of  it  came  to  Rome  and  to 

terred  in  Herod's  palace  at  Je-  Amiens. 

(219) 


220      ABGAR  HEALED— OTHER  MIRACLES 


being  healed/  King  Abgar,  of  Edessa/  also  sent  a  letter  of 
entreaty  to  Jesus,  asking  him  to  come  and  heal  him  of  his 
pains  and  diseases.  This  Abgar  was  renowned  among  all 
the  nations  of  the  East  for  his  valour  and  great  size,  as  well 
as  for  his  gentleness  and  great  wisdom.  Now  in  the  second 
year  of  his  reign,  the  Armenians  became  tributary  to  the 
Romans,  and  set  up  the  statues  of  the  Emperor  Augustus  in 
the  temples  of  the  country  at  the  time  when  the  Saviour 
Christ  came  into  the  world.^  And  for  seven  years  Abgar  had 
felt  in  his  whole  body  certain  acute  pains  which  he  had 
gotten  in  Persia,  and  he  was  wasting  away  with  a  grievous 
disease  such  as  there  is  no  cure  for  on  earth.* 
(25)  Now  Abgar  had  formed  a  plan  of  revolt  against  the 
Y^\  Roman  power,  but  it  did  not  succeed,  so  he  sent  envoys  to 
the  governor,  Marinus,  who  dwelt  at  Eleutheropolis.^     And 


'Cf.  Mat.  iv.24. 

^Abgar  Ucomo,  or  "the 
Black,"  was  the  fifteenth  king 
of  Edessa,  and  reigned  from 
A.  D.  13  to  A.  D.  50.  There 
were  several  kings  of  Edessa 
called  Abgar.  Indeed,  it  seems 
that  all  the  later  kings  were 
called  by  that  name,  just  as  all 
Roman  emperors  were  called 
Caesar,  and  all  kings  of  Egypt, 
Pharaoh  or  Ptolemy.  Asseman- 
ns  says  that  Abgar  means 
"lame";  Moses  of  Chorene,  how- 
ever, interprets  it  as  "large 
man."  Christianity  was  cer- 
tainly planted  very  early  in 
Edessa.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  second  century,  a  Christian 
King  Abgar  reigned  there,  at 
whose  court  Bardesanes,  the 
Syrian  Gnostic,  enjoyed  high 
favour.  It  has  been  supposed 
that  shortly  after  this  period  the 
letters,  etc.,  were  forged,  and 
foisted  upon  the  reign  of  the 
earlier  Abgar.    The  kingdom  of 


Edessa  was  brought  to  an  end 
by  the  Romans,  in  217  or  218 
A.  D.  The  city,  however,  long 
remained  an  important  centre 
for  Christian  learning.  There  is 
an  immense  amount  of  Christian 
literature  in  Armenian,  much  of 
which  has  never  been  translated 
into  Western  tongues. 

^This  statement  does  not  ac- 
cord with  the  fact  that  this  Ab- 
gar began  his  reign  in  A.  d.  13. 
Moses  of  Chorene  here  gives  a 
long  account  of  troubles  be- 
tween Herod  and  Abgar,  which 
I  do  not  reprint.  Herod  wished 
his  statues  to  be  set  up  with 
those  of  the  emperors,  fought 
with  Abgar,  was  defeated,  etc. 

^According  to  Cedrenus,  Ab- 
gar's  disease  was  leprosy;  ac- 
cording to   Procopius,  the  gout. 

°The  answer  related  by  (25) 
to  have  been  sent  to  Abgar  by 
the  Roman  governor  was,  "Fear 
nothing  from  the  Emperor  on 
that  account,  provided  you  take 


ABGAR'S  LETTER  TO  CHRIST  221 

on  their  return,  the  Armenian  deputies  went  to  Jerusalem  to 
see  the  Saviour,  being  attracted  by  the  report  of  his  miracles. 
Having  themselves  been  eye-witnesses  of  these  wonders, 
they  related  them  to  Abgar  on  their  return.  And  when  the 
king  was  informed  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  had  heard 
about  the  mighty  works  which  he  did,  for  they  all  bare  wit- 
ness concerning  him,  he  was  filled  with  admiration ;  and  be- 
lieved truly  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  For  he  said, 
"These  wonders  are  not  those  of  a  man,  but  of  a  God.  No, 
there  is  no  one  amongst  men  who  can  raise  the  dead.  God 
alone  hath  this  power." 

Then  the  king  wrote  this  letter  to  Jesus  ■}  (25) 

"Abgar  the  Black,  son  of  Archam,  ruler  of  Edessa,  an  ^;'^x 
unworthy  slave,  to  Jesus  the  good  .Saviour  and  benefactor 
of  men,  who  hath  appeared  in  the  country  of  Jerusalem, 
greeting  :- 

I  have  heard  of  thee,  and  of  the  cures  wrought  by  thee 
without  medicines  and  herbs.  For,  as  it  is  reported,  thou 
makest  the  blind  to  see  and  the  lame  to  walk ;  thou  cleansest 
the  lepers,  and  castest  out  unclean  spirits  and  demons ;  thou 
healest  those  who  are  tormented  with  lingering  diseases,  and 

good  care  to  pay  the  tribute  reg-  the    notes    to    Xavier's    Historia 

ularly."  Christi     Persice     Conscripta,    p. 

^Eusebius     is     the     first     who  611.      A    French    translation    is 

mentions  this  and  the  following  found    in    Migne,    II,    col.    26. 

epistle.     There  is  no  doubt  that  Many    scholars    long    held    that 

he   found   the   records   of  them,  this    and    the    following    letter 

as   he   says,   in   the   written   ar-  were  genuine.    Jones  gives  some 

chives    of    Edessa.       Moses    of  notice  of  these  in  his  work  on 

Chorene,  who  studied  at  Edessa,  the  Canon,  II,  p.  7.    During  this 

is   also   an   independent   witness  century,   a    German,    Rinck,   has 

to  the  fact  that  they  existed  in  again  maintained  their  genuine- 

the  archives  of  that  city.     They  ness.     But  at  present  no  scholar 

are  found  in  a  number  of  apoc-  doubts   that   they   are   forgeries, 

ryphal  compositions,  besides  the  made  perhaps  a   century  before 

writings    of   these   two   authors,  the  time  of  Eusebius. 

Versions   are  known   in   Syriac,  ^I  have  formed  my  versions  of 

Greek,  Latin,  and  Arabic,  besides  these   letters   from  combinations 

Armenian.     An  Arabic  version,  of  the  texts  of   (25),   (26),  and 

differing  very  widely  from  that  (27),  with  variations  as  noted, 
given  above,  is  to  be  found  in 


222      ABGAR  HEALED— OTHER  MIRACLES 

raisest  the  dead/  And  when  I  heard  all  these  things  about 
thee,  I  settled  in  my  mind  one  of  two  things :  Either  that 
thou  art  God,  who  hast  come  down  from  heaven,  and  doest 
these  things;  or  that  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  and  doest 
these  things.  Therefore  have  I  written  to  beg  of  thee  that 
thou  wouldest  weary  thyself  to  come  to  me,  and  heal  this 
disease  which  I  have.^  For  I  have  also  heard  that  the  Jews 
murmur^  against  thee,  and  through  envy  wish  to  do  thee 
harm.  I  have  a  city,  small,  but  pleasant.  It  would  be  large 
enough  for  us  both." 
(25)  And  Abgar  sent  this  letter  by  messengers,  with  Ananias 
^(27)  ^^^  courier,  who  was  also  a  painter,*  a  man  belonging  to  him, 
upon  whom  he  enjoined  to  take  accurate  account  of  Christ, 
of  what  appearance  he  was,  and  his  stature,  his  hair,  in  a 
word,  everything.  And  that  the  messengers  who  bare  this 
letter  met  Christ  at  Jerusalem  is  confirmed  by  these  words  of 
the  Gospel :  "Some  from  the  heathen  came  to  find  Jesus. 
But  those  who  heard  them,  not  daring  to  tell  Jesus  what 
they  had  heard,  told  it  to  Philip  and  Andrew,  who  reported 
it  all  to  their  master."^ 
(25)  Now  Ananias,  having  gone  and  given  the  letter  to  Jesus, 
^^7^  was  carefully  looking  at  him ;  but  was  unable  to  fix  him  in 
his  mind,  being  dazzled  by  the  splendour  of  his  countenance. 
Then  Jesus,  as  knowing  the  heart,  asked  that  materials  might 
be  brought  him  with  which  to  wash  himself ;  and  a  towel  was 
given  him.  And  when  he  had  washed,  he  wiped  his  face  with 
the  towel;  and  his  image  was  imprinted  upon  the  linen. 
Then  he  gave  it  back  to  Ananias,  saying,  "Give  this,  and 
take  back  this  message  to  him  that  sent  thee."^ 

'Cf.  Mat.  xi.s.  picture  story.     This  seems  to  be 

^Cf.  Luke  vii.6.  the  original  of  the  Veronica  pic- 

^Cf.  John  vi.41 ;  vii.12.  ture  story,  as  I  think  the  Veron- 

*The    original    story   as   given  ica  statue  story  is  the  original  of 

by  (26)  names  Ananias  as  only  them  both, 

a    messenger,    sometimes    trans-  ^See  John  xii.20-22. 

lated    "cousin,"  '  of    Abgar,    but  *(26)    does    not    mention    the 

later     legend,     represented     by  portrait;    (25)   says  the  messen- 

Cedrenus  and   (^2y),  calls  him  a  gers  brought   it  back,  but   does 

painter,  and  adds  the  miraculous  not  say  how  it  was  produced. 


CHRIST'S  LETTER  TO  ABGAR  223 

And  this  is  the  letter,  written  with  his  own  hands/  which  ( -^5) 
the  Saviour  deigned  to  give  in  reply  to  Abgar,  although  he  |^"  n 
did  not  accept  the  invitation  given  him : 

"Blessed  is  he  who  believeth  in  me,  not  having  seen  me.^ 
For  it  is  written  concerning  me,  that  those  who  see  me  will 
not  believe  in  me ;  and  that  those  will  believe  who  have  not 
seen  me,  and  will  be  saved.^  And  because  thou  hast  believed 
in  me,  the  town  in  which  thou  dwellest  shall  be  blessed.  And 
if  thou  wilt  always  keep  this  letter,  the  power  of  the  enemies 
which  rage  against  thee  shall  not  prevail ;  and  thy  state  shall, 
for  thy  sake,  be  blessed  forever.*  But  touching  that  which 
thou  hast  written  to  me,  that  I  should  come  to  thee,  it  is  meet 
that  I  should  finish  here  all  that  for  the  sake  of  which  I> 
have  been  sent  f  and,  after  I  have  finished  it,  then  I  shall  be 
taken  up  to  Him  that  sent  me.  And  when  I  have  been  taken 
up,  I  will  send  to  thee  one  of  my  disciples,  that  he  may  heal 
thy  disease,  and  give  life  to  thee,  and  to  those  who  are  with 
thee."« 

Then  Ananias,  Abgar 's  courier,  brought  him  this  letter,  as  <  ,5) 

C26) 

'Cedrenus  supplies  this  infor-  torn.  3.  The  tradition  con-  *^^7) 
mation  that  the  letter  was  writ-  stantly  wavers  as  to  whether  the 
ten  with  Christ's  own  hand.  He  letter  or  the  miraculous  picture 
also  states  that  it  was  sealed  was  the  charm  relied  upon  by 
with  seven  Hebrew  letters;  the  the  people  to  preserve  Edessa 
meaning  of  them  was,  "The  di-  from  its  enemies.  Jones,  in  his 
vine  miracle  of  God  is  seen."  work  on  the  Canon,  says  that  the 
Hofmann  states  that  Lambecius  common  people  of  England,  even 
found  in  the  Ms.  Vindobonens.,  in  his  time,  had  copies  of  this 
the  following  seven  signs :  X,  letter  in  their  houses,  in  many 
*,  X,  E,  Y,  P,  A.  For  notice  places,  fixed  in  a  frame,  with 
of  other  alleged  writings  by  the  picture  of  Christ  before  it; 
Christ  Himself,  see  chap.  XX.  and   that   generally   they   regard 

^See  John  xx.29.  it    as    the    genuine    epistle    of 

'Cf.  Is.  vi.io;  liii.I;  John  Christ.  I  suppose  that  this  par- 
ix.39.  ticular  sentence  caused  it  to  be 

*This  sentence  is  a  later  inter-      regarded    as    a    charm    having 
polation.     The  words  are  found      power  to  repel  enemies, 
in  the  Arabic  version  of  Xavier's         ''See   Mat.    iii.15;    John   v.36; 
Vita  Christi.    See  Fabricius,  I,  p.      ix.4. 

319.     They   are   referred   to   by         'Cf.   Luke  xix.p;   Acts  xi.14; 
Ephraem  Syrus,  In  Testament.,      xvi.31. 


224      ABGAR  HEALED— OTHER  MIRACLES 

well  as  the  portrait  of  the  Saviour,  a  picture  which  is  still 
to  be  found  at  this  day  in  the  city  of  Edessa.^  And  when 
Abgar  had  fallen  down  and  adored  the  likeness,  he  was 
cured  of  his  disease,  even  before  the  promised  disciple  came.- 
But  Christ  did  not  delay  to  fulfil  his  promise  to  Abgar;  for 
he  afterwards  sent  unto  him  Thaddaeus,  through  whom  all 
his  promise  was  fulfilled.^ 
(6)      And  as  great  multitudes  came  unto  Jesus,  having  with 


^Procopius  tells  how  the  peo- 
ple of  Edessa  kept  this  letter,  as 
a  protection,  over  the  gate  of  the 
city;  and  Evagrius  also  tells 
how  it  really  did  protect  Edessa. 
Nevertheless,  shortly  after  his 
death,  Edessa  was  captured  by 
the  Persians.  On  the  other 
hand,  Cedrenus  tells  how  the 
portrait  acted  as  a  charm  for 
the  preservation  of  the  city.  He 
traces  its  history  for  some  cent- 
uries. In  944,  the  Greeks  took 
Edessa,  then  in  the  hands  of  the 
Saracens,  and  seizing  the  sacred 
letters  and  picture,  took  them 
to  Constantinople,  where  they 
were  placed  in  St.  Sophia.  What 
became  of  these  when  Constan- 
tinople fell,  is  uncertain ;  but  the 
Venetians  claim  to  have  secured 
the  picture,  and  presented  it  to 
the  church  of  St.  Sylvester  at 
Rome.  Whilst  the  Genoese  say 
that  it  is  now  in  their  Armenian 
church  of  St.  Bartholomew, 
where  it  is  still  exhibited  once 
a  year.  Mediaeval  writers  told 
many  wonders  about  how  this 
picture  protected  Edessa.  They 
said,  that  on  account  of  it  no 
pagan,  idolater,  or  Jew  could 
live  in  that  city.  And  when  the 
barbarians  besieged  the  city,  all 
they  had  to  do  was  to  place  a 


little  child  over  the  city  gate, 
and  let  him  read  the  letter,  when 
they  would  be  seized  with  terror 
and  flee  like  women. 

^(25)  and  (26)  know  nothing 
of  this  method  of  cure;  it  is  a 
later  improvement  on  the  story, 
found  in  (27).  Still  another 
late  form  of  the  legend,  which 
is  but  an  adaptation  of  the  more 
popular  Veronica  legend,  is 
given  by  Constantine  Porphyro- 
geneta.  Christ  on  His  way  to 
Calvary  wipes  His  streaming 
face  with  a  piece  of  linen,  and 
leaves  on  it  His  portrait. 
Thomas  preserves  this,  and  gives 
it  to  Thaddaeus,  who  bears  it  to 
Edessa.  When  he  enters  the 
chamber  of  the  sick  king,  he  ele- 
vates it,  and  such  a  blaze  of 
light  streams  forth  from  it  that 
Abgar  cannot  endure  it,  but 
leaps  forth  from  his  bed,  cured. 

^A  full  account  of  this  preach- 
ing of  Thaddaeus  at  Edessa, 
which  it  does  not  enter  into  the 
scope  of  my  work  to  include, 
may  be  found  in  (25),  (26), 
(27),  and  a  number  of  other 
works  which  are  fully  treated  of 
by  Lipsius.  We  have  more 
about  Abgar  in  chap  XXV  seq. 
of  this  work. 


THE  LOAVES  AND  THE  FISHES  225 

them  the  lame,  the  blind,  the  dumb,  the  maimed,  and  many 
others,  and  cast  them  down  at  his  feet,  when  he  healed  them,^ 
he  said  unto  the  apostles,  "I  have  compassion  upon  this  mul- 
titude, for,  behold,  three  days  they  continue  with  me,  and 
have  nothing  to  eat.  I  would  not  send  them  away  fasting, 
lest  haply  they  faint  on  the  way."^ 

Then  Andrew  saith  unto  him,  "Master,  where  shall  we  (g) 
find  bread  in  this  desert  place,  that  they  may  eat  ?^  There  is 
one  here  which  hath  five  barley  loaves,  and  two  small  fishes ; 
but  what  are  they  among  so  many?"  And  Jesus  saith  unto 
Thomas,  "Go  to  the  man  who  hath  the  five  barley  loaves, 
and  the  two  fishes,  and  bring  them  hither  to  me."  Andrew 
saith  unto  him,  "Master,  what  will  these  five  loaves  be 
among  so  great  a  multitude?"  Jesus  said  unto  him,  "Bring 
them  to  me,  and  the  master  will  see  to  it." 

And  they  went,  and  brought  the  lad  to  Jesus,  and  he  (6) 
worshipped  him  straightway,  bringing  up  the  loaves  and 
two  fishes.  And  the  lad  said  to  Jesus,  "Master,  I  have  toiled 
much  for  these."*  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  "Give  me  the 
five  loaves  which  are  entrusted  to  thee.  For  it  is  not  thou 
that  hast  saved  this  multitude  from  affliction,  but  it  is  the 
dispensation  which  doth  this  for  a  wonderful  work,  and  for 
a  memorial  unfailing  forever,  and  for  food  that  they  may 
be  filled." 

And  Jesus  took  the  loaves,  and  he  gave  thanks  over  them,  (g) 
and  gave  them  to  the  apostles  to  set  them  before  the  multi- 
tudes. Now  Judas  was  the  last  who  received  of  the  loaves. 
And  Andrew  saith  unto  Jesus,  "Master,  Judas  hath  not 
received  inheritance  in  his  loaves,  that  he  should  set  them 
before  these  multitudes.     Dost  thou  wish^  that  he  should 

'I    have    supplied    the    above  the   accounts    that    follow   these 

words,    freely   taken    from   Mat.  verses,     variously     intermingled, 

XV.30,  as  an  introduction  to  the  with  but  a  few  touches  that  are 

narrative   of    (6),   which  begins  original, 

abruptly.  ''Cf.  Luke  v.S. 

^A.lmost  literally  Mat.  xv.32.  "There   is  a   gap   here   in  the 

'Cf.  Mat.  xiv.15;  XV.33;  Mark  Ms.,  and  the   seven  words   fol- 

vi.35;      John  vi.5.    The      entire  lowing  are  supplied  by  conject- 

narrative  is  compounded  of  all  ure. 


226      ABGAR  HEALED— OTHER  MIRACLES 

receive  a  portion,  according  to  thy  word,  that  he  to  whom  I 
have  not  given  the  breaking  of  the  loaves  from  my  hands  is 
not  worthy  of  the  breaking  of  my  flesh?  Neither,  indeed, 
doth  he  care  for  giving  to  the  poor,  but  only  for  the  bag."^ 
(6)  And  straightway  Jesus  blessed  them,  saying,  "My  Father, 
my  Father,  all  the  Root  of  goodness,^  L  pray  Thee  to  bless 
these  five  barley  loaves,  that  they  may  fill  all  this  multitude, 
in  order  that  Thy  Son  may  be  glorified  in  Thee,^  and  that 
those  whom  Thou  hast  drawn  unto  him  from  the  world  may 
obey  him."  And  straightway  his  word  was  with  authority  ;* 
the  blessing  was  in  the  loaves  in  the  hands  of  the  apostles. 
And  all  the  people  did  eat,  and  were  filled ;  and  they  blessed 
God. 

(20)  And  if  at  any  time  Jesus  was  bidden  by  one  of  the  Phar- 
isees, and  went  to  the  bidding,  the  apostles  went  with  him. 
And  if  there  was  set  before  each  one  of  them  a  loaf  of  bread 
by  him  that  had  bidden  them,  Jesus  also  received  a  loaf. 
And  he  would  bless  his  own  and  divide  among  the  apostles ; 
and  from  that  little  each  of  them  was  filled,  and  their  own 
loaves  saved  whole,  so  that  they  who  bade  him  were 
amazed.^  And  Jesus  at  another  time  also  turned  stones  to 
bread.^ 

(20)  Now  the  apostles  once  said  unto  Jesus,  "O  son  of  Mary, 
is  thy  Lord  able  to  send  down  a  table  from  heaven,  covered 

^Cf.  John  xii.6.  wrought  by  Christ,  as  to  present 

"The    same    formula   also   ac-  the  Docetic  view  that  He  Him- 

curs  in   (5),  see  chap.  XVI.     It  self  needed  and  used  no  earthly 

is,  I  think,  of  Egyptian  Gnostic  food, 

origin.  *It  would  have  been   remark- 

"Cf.     John     xi.4;     xiii.31,    32,  able,  had  the  apocryphal  writers 

xvii.4,  5.  not    in    some    way    fabricated   a 

*Cf.  Luke  iv.32.  The  Golden  miracle  in  answer  to  Satan's 
Legend  says  this  miracle  was  suggestion  in  Mat.  iv.3.  Accord- 
performed  on  the  Epiphany,  just  ingly,  in  the  Revelation  of  Es- 
a  year  after  the  turning  of  the  dras,  I  find  the  Antichrist  repre- 
water  into  wine.  It  seems  to  sented  as  saying,  "I  am  the  Son 
cite  Beda  as  an  authority  for  of  God,  that  made  stones  bread, 
this  fact.  and    water    wine."     See    Ante- 

°This  is  not  intended,  I  think,  Nicene  Fathers,  VIII,  573. 
so  much  to  witness  to  a  miracle 


THE   TABLE   FROM   HEAVEN  227 

with  meats  to  satisfy  us  ?"  But  Jesus  answered  them,  "Fear 
God,  if  ye  beHeve  in  His  law."  And  they  answered,  "We 
have  an  appetite,  and  desire  to  eat  of  the  food  of  heaven,  for 
the  repose  of  our  hearts,  and  to  know  if  thou  speakest  truth, 
of  which  we  shall  be  witnesses."  Thereupon,  Jesus  said,  "O 
God,  my  Lord,  cause  to  descend  upon  us  from  heaven  a  table 
covered  with  meat,  that  this  may  be  a  day  of  rejoicing  for 
us  and  those  who  come  after.  This  shall  be  a  sign  of  omni- 
potency;  enrich  us  with  Thy  grace,  for  Thou  possessest  all 
treasure."  Thereupon,  God  answered,  "I  will  cause  to 
descend  from  heaven  the  food  which  thou  desirest ;  and  who- 
soever of  you  will  not  after  this  believe,  shall  be  punished 
with  torments  that  no  man  yet  hath  suffered."^  Thereupon, 
two  clouds  descended,  bearing  a  golden  table  upon  which 
was  a  covered  silver  dish. 

And  many  of  the  children  of  Israel  who  were  present,  (29) 
cried  out,  "See  the  magician,  he  hath  invented  a  new  illu- 
sion." But  they  were  immediately  changed  into  swine.- 
And  when  Jesus  saw  this,  he  prayed,  saying,  "Lord,  grant 
that  this  table  may  serve  to  heal  and  not  condemn  us." 
Then  he  said  to  the  apostles,  "Let  him  who  is  chief  among 
you  rise  up  and  uncover  the  dish."  But  Simon,  who  was 
the  eldest  among  them,  said,  "Lord,  thou  art  worthiest  to 
see  first  the  dishes  of  heaven."  Then  Jesus  washed  his 
hands,  and  raising  up  the  cover,  said,  "In  the  name  of  God." 
And,  behold,  a  great  fish^  all  cooked  and  exhaling  an  odour 

^This  paragraph,  up  to  this  Nights.  One  is  especially  re- 
word, is  taken  from  the  Koran,  minded  of  the  transformation  of 
Sura,  v;  the  remainder  of  tiie  the  companions  of  Ulysses  by 
account,  embracing  the  four  par-  Circe.  The  Arabian  Nights,  too, 
agraphs  following,  is  from  Mo-  have  undoubtedly  received  much 
hammedan  amplifications  of  the  from  the  Odyssey.  I  think, 
legend,  given  in  Weil's  Biblische  however,  that  the  above  is  rather 
Legende  der  Muselmiinner.  a  faint  Mohammedan  echo  from 

*The   same   punishment  is   re-  Christ's  miracle   in   sending  the 

ferred  to  near  the  close  of  the  devils  into  a  herd  of  swine, 

next  chapter.      We  are  here  again  ^The    great    fish,    that    is    sea 

in  a   realm  of  literature  closely  monsters,  play  a  leading  part  in 

akin    to    that    of    the    Arabian  Mohammedan  legend.    I  wonder 


228      ABGAR  HEALED— OTHER  MIRACLES 

sweet  as  the  fruits  of  paradise !  This  fish  was  seasoned 
with  salt,  pepper,  and  other  spices,  whilst  around  it  were 
five  small  loaves  of  bread. 

(29)  But  Simon  said,  "O  Spirit  of  God,  are  these  meats  from 
this  or  the  other  world?"  And  Jesus  answered,  "Are  not 
both  this  and  the  other  world,  with  all  that  they  contain, 
equally  the  works  of  God?  Enjoy  with  grateful  hearts 
the  things  that  the  Lord  giveth  you,  asking  not  whence  they 
come.  But  if  the  appearance  of  this  fish  seemeth  to  you  not 
marvellous  enough,  ye  shall  see  a  greater  marvel  than  this." 
Then  he  turned  to  the  fish,  and  said  to  it,  "By  the  will  of  the 
Lord,  live !"  And  the  fish  began  to  move,  but  the  apostles 
fled  away  in  terror.  Then  Jesus  called  them  back,  and  said, 
"Why  do  ye  flee  from  that  which  ye  have  asked  for  ?"  And 
he  said  to  the  fish,  "Become  as  thou  wast  before."  And 
immediately  the  fish  became  cooked,  in  the  same  state  in 
which  it  was  when  it  descended  from  heaven.  The  apostles 
asked  Jesus  to  eat  of  it  first,  but  he  said,  "I  asked  not  for  it, 
but  let  him  who  asked  for  it,  eat  of  it." 

(29)  But  as  the  apostles  refused  to  eat  of  it,  because  they 
believed  that  their  request  for  it  had  not  been  without  sin, 
Jesus  called  many  of  the  old,  the  dumb,  the  sick,  the  blind, 
and  the  lame,  and  had  them  eat  of  the  fish.  There  were 
thirteen  hundred  who  ate  of  it,  and  when  a  portion  of  it  was 
cut  off,  it  was  in  an  instant  replaced,  so  that  the  fish  was  yet 
whole  as  if  no  one  had  touched  it.  And  not  only  were  the 
guests  satisfied,  but  they  were  also  cured  of  all  their  infirm- 
ities. The  old  became  young,  the  blind  recovered  their 
sight,  the  deaf  heard,  the  dumb  spake,  and  the  lame  walked. 
And  when  the  apostles  saw  these  things,  it  repented  them 
that  they  had  not  eaten  of  the  fish. 

(29)  And  when  a  second  time,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
Jesus,  a  like  table  descended  from  heaven,  all  the  people, 
rich  and  poor,  young  and  old,  the  whole  and  the  sick,  ran  to 
partake  of  the  meats  from  the  heavenly  table.  This  came 
to  pass  for  forty  days.     At  the  break  of  day,  the  table,  borne 

whether  there  is  not  here  con-      widely  used  Christian  symbol, 
scious  reference  to  the  fish  as  a 


THE  APPARITION  AT  GENNESARET       229 

by  the  clouds,  descended  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  before  the  setting  of  the  sun,  it  ascended,  and 
disappeared  in  the  clouds.  Yet,  as  many  still  doubted 
whether  it  really  descended  from  heaven,  Jesus  prayed  no 
longer  that  it  should  return,  and  threatened  the  chastise- 
ments of  the  Lord  upon  the  unbelieving.  But  all  doubt 
was  destroyed  in  the  hearts  of  the  apostles,  and  either  with 
their  Lord,  or  singly,  they  preached  throughout  Judaea  con- 
cerning faith  in  God,  and  His  prophet,  the  Christ.  And  in 
obedience  to  the  new  revelation,  they  permitted  the  use  of 
many  meats  that  were  forbidden  to  the  children  of  Israel.^ 

Now  once  when  all  the  disciples  of  Jesus  were  sleeping  (20) 
in  one  house  at  Gennesaret,  John  alone,  having  wrapped 
himself  up,  watched  from  under  his  garments  what  he  did. 
And  first  he  heard  him  say,  "John,  go  thou  to  sleep."  There- 
upon, John  feigned  to  be  asleep.  And  he  saw  another  like 
unto  Jesus  come  down,  whom  also  he  heard  saying  unto  the 
Lord,  '"Jesus,  do  they  whom  thou  hast  chosen  still  not  be- 
lieve in  thee  ?"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  "Thou  sayest 
well,  for  they  are  men."^ 


^See  note  on  this  subject  at 
beginning  of  last  chapter.  This 
legend,  from  which  I  have  been 
quoting,  goes  on  from  this  point, 
and  tells  how  in  Christ's  life- 
time the  apostles  went  forth  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  other  lands, 
and  how  they  were  by  Him  en- 


dowed  with   the   gift   of   other 
tongues. 

''I  have  slightly  changed  the 
form  of  this  paragraph,  which 
in  (20)  represents  John  as 
speaking  in  the  first  person.  It 
is  a  bald  presentation  of  Docetic 
views. 


IQ 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD. 

Thomas  doubts  concerning  the  Resurrection — Christ 

REASSURES    HIM — ANNOUNCES    THE    DeATH    OF    LaZARUS 

— Promises  to  raise  him — Others  doubt — Lazarus 
RAISED — Tells    what    happened    in    Gehenna — Jews 

SEEK   TO    stone    ChRIST — He   ANIMATES   THE    SkULL — It 

tells  its  History  —  Reveals  the  Other  World  — 
Christ  makes  it  a  Man — He  lives  Many  Years — 
Christ  raises  Shem — Gives  Another  Sign — Pun- 
ishes Unbelievers — Those  raised  live  Many  Years. 

Main  Sources:   (6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  III. 
(29) — Mohammedan  Legends. 

(6)  Now  once  Thomas  said  unto  Jesus,  "My  Lord,  behold, 
thou  hast  shown  all  favours  unto  us  in  thy  goodness,^  There 
is  one  thing  in  which  we  wish  that  thou  shouldest  assure  us. 
We  wish,  O  my  Lord,  to  see  dead  men  sleeping  in  the  tombs 
raised  by  thee,  for  a  sign  of  thy  resurrection  which  shall  take 
place.  For  we  know,  O  Lord,  that  thou  didst  raise  the  son 
of  the  widow  of  Nain.  But  the  wonder  at  that  time  was 
different;  for  thou  didst  find  them  going  with  him  in  the 

^The  document,  (6),  repre-  The  following  account  appears 
sents  this  as  taking  place  imme-  like  a  homily  on  the  text,  "I  am 
diately  after  the  miracle  of  the  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
loaves  and  fishes  given  in  the  The  tendency  in  apocryphal  writ- 
last  chapter.  From  its  form,  ings,  many  times  illustrated,  is 
this  apocryphal  fragment  is  es-  to  make  Thomas  the  medium  for 
sentially  a  sermon,  or  collection  all  kinds  of  trials  of  faith  and 
of  sermons.  Much  purely  hom-  dispellings  of  doubts, 
iletical  material  is  intermingled. 

(230) 


THE  RESURRECTION  DOUBTED  231 

way.^     We  wish  to  see  how  bones  in  the  tomb,  which  have 
been  dissolved,  are  joined  together  so  that  they  speak  here." 

Jesus  saith  unto  Thomas,  "Thomas,  my  friend,  ask  me  (6) 
and  my  brethren  concerning  everything  that  thou  desirest ; 
and  I  will  hide  nothing  from  you,  that  openly  thou  mayest 
see  and  touch  and  thy  heart  be  assured.^  Didst  thou  desire 
to  see  those  who  are  in  the  tombs  arise?  Full  well  didst 
thou  seek  after  a  sign  of  the  resurrection.  For  I  have  told 
you  already,  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life;^  and,  if  a 
grain  of  wheat  dieth  not,  it  beareth  not  fruit.*  If  ye  also 
do  not  see  with  your  eyes,  your  heart  is  not  assured.  Did  I 
not  say  to  you,  'Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and 
have  believed,  rather  than  they  that  have  seen,  and  have  not 
believed?'^  Ye  see  how  many  signs  and  wonders  I  have 
wrought  before  the  Jews,  and  they  have  not  believed  on  me." 

"Now  therefore,  O  my  brethren,  ye  know  Lazarus"  the  (6) 
man  of  Bethany,  who  is  called  my  friend.  Behold,  four  days 
I  abide  with  you,  and  I  have  not  gone  to  visit  his  sisters; 
for  to-day  is  the  fourth  day  since  Lazarus  died.^  Now, 
therefore,  let  us  go  unto  him  that  ye  may  comfort  them  con- 
cerning their  brother  Lazarus.^  Didymus,  come  with  me, 
that  we  may  go  to  Bethany,  and  that  I  may  show  thee  the 
figure  of  the  resurrection  at  the  last  day  in  his  tomb ;  and 
thy  heart  shall  be  assured  that  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 

^See    Luke    vii.ii    seq.      This  descent,  his  father's  name,  Syrus, 

seems  to  be  an  answer  to  early  his  mother's,  Emhasia.     He  was 

rationalizing  interpreters  of  this  rich,  and  a  soldier  by  profession. 

miracle,  who  perhaps,  somewhat  He    was    baptized,    along    with 

after   the   manner   of   the    mod-  Martha    and    Mary    Magdalene 

erns,  doubted  whether  this  man  his    sisters,    by    Maximinus,    an 

had  been  really  dead.  early   disciple.     Epiphanius   tells 

^Certainly    modelled    on    John  that    he    was    thirty    years    old 

XX. 27.  when   he    was    raised    from    the 

^John  xi.25.  dead,     and     lived     thirty     more 

^John  xii.24;  I  Cor.  XV.3S-38.  years.     His  bones  were  said  to 

■^John    XX.29,    possibly    also    a  be  found  in  Cyprus,  in  the  year 

reference    to    Christ's    letter    to  890,  and  were  brought  to  Con- 

Abgar.  stantinople  soon  after. 

"The  Golden  Legend  tells  much  ^John  xi.i,  3,  6,  11,  17. 

about  Lazarus.    He  was  of  royal  *John  xi.15,  19. 


232  CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD 

life.  Come  with  me,  O  Didymus,  that  I  may  show  thee  the 
bones  which  have  been  dissolved  in  the  tomb,  gathered  to- 
gether again.  Come  with  me,  O  Didymus,  that  I  may  show 
thee  the  eyes  of  Lazarus,  which  have  been  hollowed  out, 
sending  forth  light.  Come  with  me,  O  Didymus,  unto  the 
mount  of  Bethany,  that  I  may  show  thee  the  tongue  of 
Lazarus,  which  was  wasted  away  by  reason  of  corrupt 
matter,  and  that  I  may  make  it  speak  with  thee  again.  Come 
with  me,  O  Didymus,  unto  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  that  thou 
mayest  see  the  corruption  of  his  bones  and  of  his  shroud, 
which  the  worms  have  destroyed,  that  thou  mayest  see  that 
which  befalleth  him  by  the  voice  wherewith  I  call  him.^ 
Come  with  me,  O  Didymus,  unto  the  tomb  of  Lazarus — 
to-day  is  the  fourth  day  since  he  died — that  I  may  raise  him 
up  alive  again.  Thou  hast  sought  after  the  sign  of  my  res- 
urrection, O  Thomas.  Come  that  I  may  show  it  thee  in  the 
tomb  of  Lazarus.  Thou  hast  sought  to  see  how  bones  are 
joined  together.  Come  with  me  to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus, 
that  thou  mayest  see  them  going  and  coming  from  the  door 
of  his  tomb.  Thou  hast  sought  for  hands  to  be  stretched 
out.  Come  that  I  may  show  thee  the  hands  of  Lazarus, 
bound  in  grave-clothes,  and  wrapped  in  the  linen  cloths, 
set  upon  them  alone,  coming  forth  from  the  tomb.^ 
Didymus,  my  friend,  come  with  me  to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus, 
for  my  mouth  hath  desired  that  of  which  thou  hast  thought. 
For  to-day  is  the  fourth  day  of  Lazarus,  and  Martha  and 
Mary  are  waiting  for  me  to  go  and  inquire  of  them  concern- 
ing their  brother."  Now  whilst  Jesus  was  saying  these 
things  to  the  apostles,  Didymus  approached,  and  said  unto 
him,  "My  Lord,  how  then  shall  we  go  thither,  whilst  the 
Jews  are  seeking  to  stone  thee?"^  He  said  this  because  he 
was  grieved  concerning  the  words  which  Jesus  spake  con- 

^All  this  amplification  as  to  the  to  find  so  much  stress  laid  upon 
probable    state    of    the    body    of  the  condition  of  the  body.    Com- 
Lazarus  seems  to  be  a  rhetorical  pare  the  narratives  regarding  Jo- 
comment  on  John   xi.39.     Such  seph  in  chap.  XIV. 
tedious    sermonizings    make    up  ^John  xi.44. 
the  bulk  of  this  document.     It  is  ^Cf.  John  xi.8. 
characteristic  of  Egyptian  ideas 


AT  THE  TOMB  OF  LAZARUS  233 

cerning  Lazarus,  in  order  that  the  Lord  might  not  go. 
Jesus  said  to  him,  "Didymus,  he  that  walketh  in  the  hght 
stumbleth  not."^  Jesus  said  this  word  to  Thomas  that  he 
might  comfort  him,  because  he  saw  him  grieving  concerning 
the  death  of  Lazarus.^ 

Now  after  all  these  things,  Jesus  came  not  far  from  the  (6) 
tomb  of  Lazarus ;  and  his  sister  met  him  there.^  She  said 
unto  him,  "Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had 
not  died  ;*  for  thou  art  the  resurrection  that  raiseth  the  dead ; 
for  I  know  thee  from  thy  youth  and  my  brother  Lazarus." 
Jesus  said  unto  her,  "Believest  thou  this,  that  I  am  the  res- 
urrection that  raiseth  the  dead,  and  the  life  of  every  one?" 
Martha  said  unto  him,  "Yea,  Lord,  I  believe."  Jesus  saith 
tmto  her,  "Thy  brother  shall  rise."  Then  as  they  were 
saying  these  things  one  with  another,  behold,  Martha  and 
Mary  and  Jesus  came  to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  Jesus  going 
before  the  apostles.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  "Take  away 
the  stone,  that  thou  mayest  see  the  witness  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  dead  are  raised."^  And  straightway  Thomas 
wept  before  Jesus,  saying,  "If  thou  hast  suffered  this 
trouble,  and  hast  come  to  the  tomb  of  the  dead  because  of 
my  unbelief,  let  thy  will  be  done  unto  me,  and  let  this  tomb 
receive  me  unto  the  day  of  thy  resurrection."  But  Jesus 
knew  that  Thomas  was  grieved,  and  he  said  unto  him  with  a 
voice  of  joy  and  a  word  of  life,  "Thomas,  grieve  not. 
What  I  do  thou  knowest  not.®  Is  it  a  trouble  to  take  away 
the  stone  of  a  friend  enclosed  in  a  tomb,  that  he  may  arise 
and  come  forth  ?^  Grieve  not,  O  Thomas,  because  I  said 
unto  thee,  'Take  away  the  stone,  that  a  witness  to  the  res- 
urrection may  be  manifested  in  a  tomb  of  the  dead.'  Grieve 
not,  O  Thomas,  because  I  said  unto  thee,  'Take  away  the 
stone,  to  raise  the  dead.'  Open  the  door  of  the  tomb,  and 
I  will  bring  forth  him  that  is  dead.  Take  away  the  stone, 
O  Thomas,  that  I  may  give  life  to  him  who  sleepeth  in  the 

^John  xi.9,  also  I  John  1.7.  ■'John  xi.21. 

^A  very  clumsy  explanation  of  °Cf.  John  xi.38,  39. 

the  above  text.  'John  xiii.7. 

'Cf.  John  xi.30.  ''Cf.  John  xi.ii. 


234  CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD 

tomb.  Drag  far  away  the  stone,  O  Thomas,  and  he  that  is 
dead  shall  find  the  way  of  coming  forth  from  the  tomb.  I 
did  not  urge  thee,  O  Thomas,  saying,  'Take  away  the  stone ;' 
because  Lazarus  cannot  come  forth,  whilst  the  door  is  shut ; 
for  all  things  are  possible  to  me.  But  if  thou  takest  away 
the  stone,  O  Thomas,  the  tomb  is  manifested  that  all  men 
may  see  it,  and  may  see  how  he  that  is  dead  sleepeth.  Hast 
thou  taken  away  the  stone,  O  Thomas ;  and  the  evil  smell 
gone  forth,  and  the  corrupt  matter,  and  the  worm,  in  the 
manner  of  all  those  who  are  dead?     Nay,  God  forbid." 

(6)  Now  after  all  these  things,  Jesus  said  unto  Mary,  "Be- 
lievest  thou  that  thy  brother  shall  rise?"^  She  saith  unto 
him,  "Yea,  Lord,  I  believe.^  By  this  time  he  stinketh;  for 
it  is  four  days  since  he  died.^  But  I  believe  that  all  things 
are  possible  to  thee."*  And  Jesus  turned  to  Thomas,  and 
said  unto  him,  "Come,  that  thou  mayest  see  the  bones  of  the 
dead  lying  in  the  tombs  before  I  raise  them.  Come  with  me, 
O  Thomas,  that  thou  mayest  see  the  eyes  which  have  poured 
themselves  forth,  before  I  give  the  light  to  them  again. 
Come,  O  Thomas,  that  thou  mayest  see  how  he  who  sleepeth 
is  laid,  before  I  raise  him  again.  Come,  O  Thomas,  have 
faith  in  me;  for  all  things  are  possible  to  me.  Martha  and 
Mary,  assure  your  heart.  Have  more  faith  than  Martha 
and  Mary,  bearing  witness  to  me,  and  saying,  'Yea,  all 
things  are  possible  to  thee.' "  And  as  Jesus  said  these 
things,  he  cried  out,  saying,  "My  Father,  my  Father,  all  the 
Root  of  goodness,  I  beseech  Thee,  for  the  hour  is  come,  that 
Thou  wouldest  glorify  Thy  Son,^  that  all  may  know  that 
Thou  didst  send  me  for  this  end.  The  glory  be  to  Thee  unto 
the  ages  of  the  ages.     Amen."^ 

(6)  And  as  Jesus  was  saying  these  things,  he  cried  out,  say- 
ing, "Lazarus,  come  forth. "'^  And  straightway  the  mount 
went  round  as  a  wheel.  They  that  were  dead  arose,  and 
came  forth  because  of  the  voice  of  Jesus  who  called  him, 

^John  xi.23,  26.  "John  xvii.i. 

''John  xi.27.  'Cf.  John  xvii.24. 

'John  xi.39.  'John  xi.43. 
*Cf.  Mark  xiv.36. 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS  235 

saying,  "Lazarus,  come  forth."  And  straightway  Lazarus 
came  forth,^  wrapped  in  grave-clothes,  his  face  bound  with 
a  napkin,  his  head  bound  in  grave-clothes.  Jesus  saith  unto 
them,  "Loose  him,  and  let  him  go."^  Now  when  Lazarus 
say  Jesus  standing  at  the  door  of  the  tomb,  he  fell  down 
and  worshipped  him.  And  he  cried  out,  saying,  "Blessed 
art  thou,  Jesus,  at  whose  voice  Gehenna^  trembleth,  even 
the  voice  wherewith  he  called  me ;  the  glory  of  whose  God- 
head those  who  are  in  Gehenna  desire  to  see.  Blessed  art 
thou,  Jesus,  to  whom  belongeth  this  voice  of  resurrection ; 
for  thou  art  he  who  shall  judge  the  whole  world,"*  And  as 
Lazarus  was  saying  these  things  to  Jesus,  the  multitudes 
followed  after  him  to  see  him.^  Now  when  Jesus  saw  that 
the  multitudes  thronged  him^  and  Lazarus  also — some  of 
those  belonging  to  his  family  embracing  him,  some  asking 
after  his  welfare,  his  sisters  kissing  his  mouth,  in  short  there 
being  a  great  clamour  in  the  mount  of  Bethany ;  some  shout- 
ing aloud,  others  confessing  that  there  was  never  a  man  like 
this  is  Israel,^  some  saying,  "We  believe  on  that  man,  that 
he  is  the  resurrection,  from  that  which  we  have  seen  in  the 
tomb  of  Lazarus  to-day;"^  the  multitudes  being  gathered 
together  to  Lazarus,  like  bees  to  a  honey-comb,^  because 
of  the  wonder  which  was  come  to  pass.^** 

But  Lazarus  did  not  go  away  from  the  feet  of  Jesus,  kiss-  (g) 
ing  them,  and  bearing  witness  to  the  multitudes,  and  saying, 
"Jesus  is  the  resurrection  of  the  quick  and  of  the  dead. 
What  is  the  sight  of  this  place  at  all  compared  with  the  sight 
of  Gehenna  at  the  hour  that  he  called  my  name  from  the  door 
of  the  tomb,  saying,  'Lazarus,  come  forth  ?'     I  say  unto  you, 

^Possibly  a   reference  here  to  *Acts  xviii.31. 

the     event     recorded     in     Mat.  "^John    xii.9. 

xxvii.52.    Amplification  of  this  is  'Cf.  Mark  v.31. 

given  in  chap.  XXXIII,  etc.  'Cf.    Mat.    ix.33. 

"John  xi.44.  ^John  xi.45. 

Tor      the       Egyptian      word  "Cf.   Ps.  cxviii.12. 

Amenti,   I   have   substituted  the  "This    long    sentence    is    not 

above  where  it  occurs  here  and  grammatical.     I   give   it  just  as 

elsewhere.   Possibly  Hades  would  the  translator  does, 
be  better. 


^ 


236  CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD 


at  that  hour  my  father  Adam  knew  his  voice  and  his  call, 
as  though  he  were  at  the  gates  of  death,  calling  him.^  He 
spent  a  while  with  his  ear  inclined  to  his  call,  thinking  that 
he  was  calling  him.  Adam  bare  witness  to  the  multitudes, 
saying,  "This  call  that  I  have  heard  is  the  voice  of  my  surety, 
wherewith  he  calleth  me  in  paradise.  Where  is  that  hour 
when  he  cometh  to  paradise  to  call  me?  Who  is  this  good 
son  whom  my  Creator  calleth  by  this  name,  saying,  Lazarus, 
come  forth  ?  I  pray  thee,  my  son  Lazarus,  upon  whom  the 
mercy  of  the  Almighty  hath  come,  inquire  of  my  Creator 
concerning  me,  O  my  beloved  son  Lazarus,  saying.  How 
long  shall  it  be  before  I  hear  this  call  of  life  ?'  " 
(6)  Now  as  Lazarus  was  saying  these  things  to  the  multitude, 
lying  prostrate  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  the  fame  of  him  reached 
unto  the  chiefs  of  the  Jews,  that  Jesus  did  this  work  on  the 
Sabbath.^  And  they  came  that  they  might  see  Lazarus  and 
stone  Jesus.^ 
(29)  Now  Jesus  once,  on  a  journey  with  his  disciples,  came  into 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Dead  Sea;  and  there  he  found  a 
dead  man's  skull  lying  upon  the  earth.*  And  the  disciples 
besought  him  to  call  it  back  to  life.  Then  Jesus  prayed  to 
God,  and  turning  to  the  skull,  said,  "By  the  will  of  God, 
come  to  life,  and  tell  us  what  thou  hast  found  beyond  death, 
and  in  the  tomb,  and  in  the  world  to  come."  Immediately, 
then,  the  skull  took  the  form  of  a  living  man,  and  said, 
"Know,  O  prophet  of  God,  that  four  thousand  years  ago  I 

'Cf.   Job.   xxxviii.17.     For  an  *The     extended     piece     which 

account   of   how   Adam   awaited  here  begins  is  given  by  Weil  in 

in  Hades  the  call  of  Christ,  see  his  Bibhsche  Legende  der  Musel- 

chap.    XXVIII.     (6)     has    here  manner.     A    French    translation 

evidently  drawn  from  the  Gospel  of  it  may  be  found  in  Migne,  I, 

of  Nicodemus.  col.  977.     It  is  essentially  a  sort 

^John     V.16.     The    Report    of  of  Mohammedan  apocalypse,  and 

Pontius     Pilate,     Second    Greek  whilst,  perhaps,  not  having  any 

Form,   says   that   the   raising  of  real   relation  to  Christian  apoc- 

Lazarus    took    place    upon    the  rypha  or  legend,  is,  I  think,  of 

Sabbath.  enough    intrinsic   interest   to   be 

'Cf.  John  viii.59;  X.31 ;  xi.53;  inserted  here. 
xii.Q. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  SKULL  237 

was  living  in  pleasure ;  and  after  I  had  taken  a  bath,  I  was 
attacked  by  a  fever,  which  for  seven  days  resisted  all  reme- 
dies. The  fourth  day,  I  found  myself  so  weakened  that  all 
my  members  trembled,  and  my  tongue  clave  to  the  roof  of 
my  mouth.  Then  did  the  angel  of  death  appear  unto  me  in 
frightful  form ;  his  head  touched  the  heavens,  whilst  his 
feet  reached  to  the  lowest  depths  of  the  earth.  In  his  right 
hand  he  held  a  sword,  and  in  his  left  a  cup.  With  him 
were  two  other  angels  that  seemed  to  be  his  servants.^  I 
tried  to  utter  a  cry  that  should  reach  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven  and  earth;  but  throwing  themselves  upon  me,  they 
held  my  tongue,  and  weighed  upon  all  my  veins  to  make  my 
soul  go  forth  from  my  body.  I  said  to  them,  'O  redoubtable 
angels,  I  will  give  all  that  I  possess  to  save  my  life.'  But 
one  of  them  struck  me  so  roughly  on  my  face  that  my  jaw 
was  almost  broken,  and  said,  'Enemy  of  God !  God  accepteth 
no  ransom.'  The  angel  of  death  then  raised  his  sword  above 
my  neck,  and  offered  me  the  cup  which  I  had  to  empty  to  the 
last  drop.     And  that  was  my  death." 

*T  was  bathed,  wrapped  in  the  shroud,  and  buried,  with-  (29) 
out  having  knowledge  of  it.  But  when  my  tomb  had  been 
covered  with  earth,  the  soul  returned  to  my  body ;  and  I  was 
seized  with  great  terror  at  finding  myself  in  solitude.  Next, 
there  came  two  angels  having  a  scroll,  and  recounted  to  me 
all  the  good  and  evil  that  I  had  done  during  my  life ;  they 
commanded  me  to  sign  the  scroll  with  my  own  hand,  cer- 
tifying to  its  correctness  by  my  signature.  And  when  I  had 
done  this,  they  suspended  the  record  about  my  neck,-  and 
left  me.  Next,  there  appeared  two  other  angels  of  a  dark 
blue  colour.  Each  of  these  had  a  column  of  fire  in  his  hand, 
and  if  a  single  spark  of  this  fire  should  fall  upon  the  earth,  it 
would  suffice  to  burn  it  up.'  They  cried  to  me  with  a  voice 
like  thunder,  'Who  is  thy  master?'  Fright  made  me  lose 
my  reason,  and  in  response,  I  stammered,  'Ye  are  my  mas- 

^The  angel  is  Azrael ;  see  chap.  ^Another   version   of  the   idea 

XIV    for    references    to    Jewish  of  the  book  of  deeds  written  by 

legends  which  are  very  similar,  the  recording  angel, 

and  whence  these  are  derived.  *A    similar   representation    of 


238  CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD 

ters.'  They  replied  to  me,  'Thou  hest,  O  enemy  of  God.'^ 
And  they  struck  me  a  blow  with  one  of  the  columns  which 
they  had,  that  caused  me  to  fall  down  to  the  seventh  earth. 
And  when  I  found  myself  again  in  my  tomb,  they  said, 
'Earth,  punish  this  man,  because  he  hath  rebelled  against  his 
master.'  Then  the  earth  weighed  upon  me  so  heavily  that 
almost  all  my  bones  were  reduced  to  dust,  and  it  said  to  me, 
'O  enemy  of  God,  I  hated  thee  when  thou  didst  walk  upon 
my  surface;  but  now  that  thou  restest  in  my  bosom,  I  will 
avenge  myself,  thanks  to  the  might  of  God.'  "^ 

(29)  "Next,  the  angels  opened  one  of  the  gates  of  hell,  and  said, 
"Take  a  sinner  who  believed  not  in  God,  and  burn  him.' 
They  bound  me  then  with  a  chain  that  was  seventy  ells  long, 
and  plunged  me  into  the  midst  of  hell.  And  every  time  that 
the  flames  devoured  my  skin,  I  received  a  new  one  so  that  I 
might  suffer  again  the  torments  of  burning.  I  experienced 
such  hunger  that  I  asked  for  food,  but  I  received  nothing 
save  the  rotten  fruit  of  the  tree  Sukum,^  which  not  only 
increased  my  hunger,  but  also  brought  upon  me  a  burning 
thirst,  and  cruel  pains  throughout  my  body.  If  I  asked  for 
drink,  they  gave  me  only  boiling  water,  and  they  thrust  the 
end  of  the  chain  which  bound  my  hands  and  feet  into  my 
mouth  with  such  force  that  it  came  out  through  my  back." 

(29)  When  Jesus  heard  these  words,  he  wept  with  compassion, 
and  commanded  the  dead  man's  head  to  describe  hell  more 

the  angel  that  desired  to  avenge  Judas  then,  in  despair,  goes  and 

the  Crucifixion  of  Christ  is  found  hangs  himself. 

in  chap.  XXXI.  ^A  very  poetical  figure,  as  ap- 

^A  Coptic  fragment  of  the  Acts  plied  to  the  decay  of  the  body, 

of    St.    Andrew    and    St.    Paul,  ^D'Herbelot  gives  the  follow- 

given  by  Migne,  Legendes,  col.  ing  account  of  the  accursed  tree 

720,   affords   a    parallel    to   this.  Zacoum,   under  that  title :    The 

Judas  Iscariot,  after  his  betrayal  name  of  an  infernal  tree  accord- 

of  his  master,  secures  conditional  ing  to  the  fabulous  tradition  of 

pardon  of  Christ,  who  tells  him  the  Mohammedans,  the  fruit  of 

to  flee  into  the  desert,  and  fear  which  is  the  heads  of  demons, 

no  one  save  God.  Satan  then  ap-  It  is  mentioned  in  the  Koran.  But 

pears  to  him  in  frightful  form,  there    is    also   an   actual   thorny 

when    Judas,    in    his   terror,    ac-  tree  which  bears  very  bitter  fruit, 

knowledges    him    as    his    Lord,  and  has  given  rise  to  the  fable. 


THE  SKULL  RAISED  TO  LIFE  239 

particularly.  So  the  head  thus  continued,  "Know,  O 
prophet  of  God,  that  hell  consisteth  of  seven  stages,  one 
above  the  other.^  The  torments  of  sinners  are  so  great 
that  if  thou  sawest  them,  O  prophet  of  God,  thou  wouldest 
shed  tears  of  pity,  weeping  like  a  mother  who  hath  lost  her 
only  son.  The  outside  of  hell  is  of  copper  and  the  interior 
of  lead.  The  sun  is  a  torment  created  by  the  wrath  of  the 
Almighty;  from  all  sides  of  the  fire  which  sendeth  forth  no 
light,  but  which  is  black,  it  emitteth  a  smoke  thick  and  fetid. 
And  that  fire  is  fed  with  men,  and  with  the  figures  of  idols." 

Long,  then,  did  Jesus  weep,  and  he  asked  the  dead  man  to  (29) 
what  race  he  belonged  in  his  lifetime.  He  replied,  "I  am 
descended  from  the  prophet  Elijah."  And  being  asked 
what  he  most  desired,  he  said,  "That  God  would  call  me 
back  to  life,  so  that  I  might  be  able  to  serve  Him  with  all  my 
heart,  and  render  myself  worthy  of  paradise."  Then  Jesus 
prayed  to  God,  and  said,  "Lord,  Thou  knowest  this  man 
and  me  better  than  we  know  ourselves,  and  Thou  art 
almighty."  And  God  replied,  "That  which  he  desireth 
hath  long  been  determined  by  me,  since  he  hath  had  much 
of  merit,  and  hath,  above  all,  shown  himself  very  charitable 
to  the  poor.  He  shall  return  into  the  world  in  answer  to 
thy  request.  And  if  he  serve  me  faithfully,  all  his  sins  shall 
be  pardoned."  Jesus  then  called  to  the  skull,  and  said  to  it, 
"Become  once  more,  by  the  power  of  God,  a  perfect  man." 
Scarcely  had  he  pronounced  these  words  when  a  man  arose, 
who  appeared  yet  fairer  than  in  his  past  life,  and  said,  "I 
am  a  witness  that  there  is  but  one  God,  that  Moses  spake 
with  God,  and  that  Isaiah  is  the  spirit  and  the  word  of  God.- 
I  recognize  also  that  the  resurrection  is  as  true  as  death,  and 
that  hell  and  paradise  really  exist."  This  man  lived  sixty- 
six  years  after  his  resurrection,  passing  his  days  in  fasting, 
and  his  nights  in  prayer,  nor  did  he  turn  aside  an  instant 
from  the  service  of  the  Lord,  until  the  day  of  his  death. 

'The    account    here    describes  'Of  course,  the  text  here  adds, 

these  divisions  more  particularly,  "And  that   Mohammed   shall  be 

according     to     the     well-known  the  last  envoy  of  God." 
Mohammedan  tradition. 


240  CHRIST  RAISES  THE  DEAD 

(29)  Now  once  when  Jesus  had  promised  to  raise  one  from  the 
dead,  the  Jews  believed  him  not.^  But  for  proof  of  his 
power,  they  brought  him  to  the  grave  of  Shem,  because 
they  knew  of  no  older  one.^  Then  was  the  grave  opened, 
whereupon  the  corpse  within  raised  itself  up.  And  Jesus 
said,  "Who  art  thou,  and  who  am  I?"  And  the  dweller  in 
the  grave  replied,  "I  am  Shem,  the  son  of  Noah,  and  thou 
art  Jesus,  the  Spirit  of  God."  "Why,  then,"  said  Jesus,  "is 
thy  beard  gray,  whereas  it  was  yet  black  at  thy  death?" 
"Thou  sayest  truly,"  said  Shem,  "but  from  terror  at  thy  call, 
which  I  believed  to  be  the  voice  of  the  angel  of  death,  my 
hair  became  gray."^  Jesus  answered,  "If  thou  wishest  it, 
son  of  Noah,  I  will  obtain  from  the  Lord  yet  another  term 
of  life  for  thee."  "I  thank  thee,"  said  Shem,  "I  have  lived 
enough,  and  prefer  the  rest  of  the  grave."*  Immediately, 
then,  he  sank  back  again  into  his  sepulchre. 

(29)  Now  as  Christ,  to  confirm  his  teachings  amongst  the  un- 
believing Jews  by  a  sign,  had  raised  the  patriarch  Shem 
from  the  dead,  the  people  said,  "That  is  sorcery,  give  us 
another  sign."^     Then  Jesus  said  unto  them,  "What  do  ye 

^Hofmann  refers  for  this  leg-  tinguish  him.  Mohammedan  leg- 
end to  Maracci's  edition  of  the  end  again  says  that  when  Abra- 
Koran,  p.  113.  Also  see  Kes-  ham's  beard  became  white,  he 
saeus,  in  Sike,  n.  p.  (53),  and  asked  God  the  reason  of  it.  The 
Sepp,  V,  p.  63.  Lord  replied,  "It  is  a  token  of 

^Rabbi    Gerson    in    his    book,  gentleness,  my  son." 

called  Sepher  Geliloth  Eretz  Is-  'By    this    blase    Mohammedan 

rael,  says  that  as  he  journeyed  view  of  life  I  am  reminded  of 

through  the  land  of  King  Og,  he  verse  Ixviii  of  Omar's  Rubaiyat : 

saw  a  grave  which  was   eighty  "We  are  no  other  than  a  moving 

ells  long,  and  they  told  him  that  row 

it  was  that  of  Shem  the  son  of  Of    magic    shadow-shapes    that 

Noah.      The    tradition     is    that  come  and  go 

Shem  buried  Adam  at  Jerusalem.  Round    with    this    sun-illumin'd 

See  chaps.  XXV,  XXVI.  lantern  held 

^Abraham  was  the  first  whose  In  midnight  by  the  Master  of  the 

hair  became  white,  says  Jewish  Show." 

legend.    There  was  such  striking  "This    paragraph    is    given   by 

similarity  between  him  and  his  Kessaeus,  Sike,  n.  p.  (53).  Some 

son    Isaac,   that   God    gave   him  of  its  particulars   are  contained 

white  hair  and  wrinkles  to  dis-  in  the  Koran,  Sura  v. 


SEVERAL  OF  THE  DEAD  RAISED  241 

desire?"  They  answered,  "Tell  us  what  we  will  lay  aside, 
and  what  we  will  eat  in  our  houses."  When,  now,  he  had 
told  them  this,  and  they  would  not  yet  believe,  he  went  away. 
But  as  he  on  the  following  day  came  again  to  them,  they 
said,  "See,  the  sorcerer  is  here  again."  When  Jesus  heard 
this,  he  was  angry,  and  said,  "O  God,  Thou  knowest  that 
they  accuse  me  and  my  mother  of  sorcery.^  For  this  cause, 
curse  them  utterly."  Then  God  turned  them  into  swine, 
and  after  they  had  lived  three  days,  they  died.  And  as  this 
became  known  in  Judaea,  they  wished  to  kill  him,  but  they 
could  not.  The  Lord  also  raised  a  dead  man  to  life  in  the 
days  of  Philip.^ 

The  Saviour's  works,  moreover,  were  always  present ;  for  (n) 
they  were  real,  consisting  of  those  who  had  been  healed  of 
their  diseases,  and  raised  from  the  dead.  And  these  were 
not  only  seen  whilst  they  were  being  healed  and  raised  up, 
but  were  afterwards  constantly  present.  Jesus  raised  several 
who  again  married,  and  had  offspring.  Nor  did  they  remain 
only  during  his  sojourn  on  earth,  but  also  a  considerable 
time  after  his  departure.^ 

^Cf.  John  vii.19,  20,  etc.  ^The  above  is  contained  in  a 

*Eusebius,  in  the  Church  His-  fragment    ascribed   by    Eusebius 

tory,  bk.  Ill,  39,  gives  this  vague  to  Quadratus  Bishop  of  Athens, 

tradition    as    handed    down    by  and  given  in  the  Church  History, 

Papias.       It    might     well     refer  bk.  IV,  3. 

simply  to  Lazarus,  or  the  son  of 

the  widow  of  Nain. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  WORDS  OF  CHRIST— THE  AGRAPHA.' 

Christ  announces  His  Mission — Rebukes  Mankind — 
Instructs  the  Apostles — Speaks  of  Repentance — 
— Renunciation  of  the  World — Patience — Prayer 
— Temptation — Charity — Goodness — His  own  Omni- 
presence—  Forgiving  Brethren — Almsgiving — The 
Rich — Curious  Questions — The  Soul — Women — 
Marriage — False  Prophets — The  Judgment — The 
Second  Coming — The  Jews — Various  Topics. 

Main  Sources:  (i6) — Fragments  of  Lost  Documents. 

(30) — Church  Fathers  and  Other  Writers. 

(16)      Jesus  said:    I  am  he  concerning  whom  Moses  prophesied, 

°  saying,  "A  prophet  shall  the  Lord  our  God  raise  unto  you 

of  your  brethren,  like  unto  me :  Hear  him  in  all  things ;  and 

'Included   in   this   chapter   are  canonical  parallels  to  the  thought 

72    fragments    which    Resch   ac-  of  the  logion,  followed  by  illus- 

cepts  as  genuine  logia  of  Christ,  trations  of  verbal  and  other  co- 

and   numerous    others,   gathered  incidences.     The  arrangement  of 

from  many  sources.     The  notes  these  fragments  endeavours  to  se- 

upon   the    former   refer   first   to  cure  some  sort  of  continuity  in 

Resch's  treatment  of  the  logion.  their  presentation,  but  it  is  real- 

In  all  cases,  reference  is  given  in  ized   that   any   completely   satis- 

detail   to    the    particular    author  factory  arrangement  of  them  in 

whose  version  of  the  logion  has  continuous    narrative    is    impos- 

been  translated,  and  this  is  fol-  sible.     The  genuine  character  of 

lowed  by  mere  mention  of  the  the  apparent  connecting  thought 

authors,    if   any    such   there    be,  that  has  been  followed,  in  many 

who  also  preserve  it  in  one  form  instances,    is    not    vouched    for. 

or  other.     The   scriptural   refer-  Several  of  Resch's  Agrapha,  and 

ences    present    first    the    nearest  a    large   number   of   other   frag- 

(242) 


CHRIST  ANNOUNCES  HIS  MISSION        243 

whosoever  will  not  hear  that  prophet  shall  die."^     For  the  (16) 
Lord  said :  I  come  to  gather  all  nations  and  tongues,    I  am  ^ 
the  gate  of  life ;  he  who  entereth  through  me,  entereth  into 
life. 

If  the  Son  is  mightier  than  God,  and  the  son  of  man  is 
Lord  over  Him ;  who  else  than  the  Son  can  be  Lord  over 
that  God  who  is  the  ruler  over  all  things.^ 

I  am  not  come  to  send  peace  on  earth,  but  a  sword;  and 
henceforth  ye  shall  see  father  separated  from  son,  son  from 
father,  husband  from  wife,  and  wife  from  husband,  mother 
from  daughter,  and  daughter  from  mother,  brother  from 
brother,  father-in-law  from  daughter-in-law,  friend  from 
friend.^ 

I  came  to  put  an  end  to  sacrifice,  and  unless  ye  cease  from 
sacrificing,  anger  will  not  cease  from  you.* 

Except  ye  fast  to  the  world,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  find  the 
kingdom  of  God ;  and  except  ye  keep  the  Sabbath,  ye  shall 
not  see  the  Father.^ 

On  the  same  day,  having  seen  one  working  on  the  Sab-    \ 
bath,  he  said  to  him :   O  man,  if  indeed  thou  knowest  what 
thou  doest,  thou  art  blessed ;  but  if  thou  knowest  not,  thou     1 
art  cursed,  and  art  a  transgressor  of  the  law.*'  ^ 

ments  similar  to  those  contained  15.     See    Luke     iii.i6;     I     Cor. 

in  this  chapter,  will  be  found  in  xv.27,   28.     Origen    quotes    this 

their     appropriate     places     else-  from    A    Heavenly    Dialogue,    a 

where,  in  the  course  of  the  nar-  book     probably     of     Basilidean 

rative  of  the  present  work.    Ref-  Gnostic  character,  not  now  ex- 

erence  in  the  General  Index  to  tant. 

the   title   "Agrapha,"   will    show  ^Clementine     Recognitions,  II, 

the  exact  location  of  these  other  18,  19;  cf.  Mat.  x.3S,  36;  Luke 

logia.  xii.53. 

^Clementine  Homilies,  III,  53.  ''Epiphanius,    Heresies,    XXX, 

Cf.  John  v.46;  Luke  xxiv.27,  44;  16;  quoted  there  from  the  Gos- 

Acts  iii.22,  23;  Deut.  xviii.15,  19.  pel  of  the   Ebionites.    Cf.   Mat. 

The  following  sentence  is  from  v.17;  ix.13. 

Clement  of  Rome,  II,  17,  and  has  °Logia    of     Christ     found    at 

little  significance.     The  last  sen-  Behnesa.    There  is  no  close  par- 

tence  is  from  Clementine  Hom-  allel  in  scripture.     Cf.  Gal.  vi.14; 

ilies.  III,  52.     Cf.  John  x.9.  Mat.  vi.33. 

^Origen  against  Celsus,  VIII,  ^Resch,  27,  pp.  loS,  188;  Codex 


244        CHIRST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)  How  long  shall  I  be  with  you  and  speak  with  you?  I  am 
weary  of  this  generation.  They  proved  me,  He  said,  ten 
times,  but  these,  twenty  times,  and  ten  times  ten.^ 

I  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  world,  and  in  the  flesh  was  I 
seen  of  them ;  and  I  found  all  men  drunken,  and  none  found 
I  athirst  among  them ;  and  my  soul  grieveth  over  the  sons 
of  men,  because  they  are  blind  in  their  hearts.^ 

Excepting  a  very  few  saints  and  illustrious  ones,  men 
have  thought  to  atone  for  their  crimes  with  a  few  pieces  of 
money.^ 

Thou  hearest  with  one  ear,  but  the  other  thou  hast  closed.* 

He  who  is  near  me  is  near  the  fire ;  but  he  who  is  far  from 
me  is  far  from  the  kingdom.^ 

They  who  are  with  me  have  not  understood  me.^ 

Even  though  ye  were  gathered  together  with  me  in  my 
very  bosom,  yet  if  ye  were  not  to  keep  my  commandments, 
I  would  cast  you  off,  and  say  unto  you,  "Depart  from  me ; 
I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are,  ye  workers  of  iniquity."^ 

But  ye  seek  to  increase  from  little,  and  from  greater  to 
be  less.  But  when  ye  are  bidden  to  dinner,  sit  not  down 
in  the  highest  places  lest  a  more  worthy  than  thou  cometh, 
and  the  host  come,  and  say  to  thee,  "Go  down  lower,"  and 

Cantabrigiensis    (D),    following  there  is  some  little  doubt  as  to 

Luke  vi.4.     Cf.  Gal.  ii.i8;  Rom.  whether  the  author  intended  to 

ii.25;  Jas.  ii.ii.  ascribe   these    words    to    Christ. 

^Ephraem  Syrus,  Evang.  Cone.  There  is  probably  an  allusion  to 

Expositio.     Cf.  Luke  ix.41 ;  Mark  Judas. 

jx.19;    Mat.    xvii.17.     The    last  *Logia    of     Christ     found     at 

sentence,  of  course,  refers  to  the  Behnesa.      Swete    thus    restores 

children  of  Israel  under  Moses,  the  almost  undecipherable  logion 

and  there  is  allusion  to  Ps.  xcv.9,  at  the  close.    Cf.  Mat.  xi.is,  etc. 

10.  "Resch,  5,  P-  98;  Origen,  Hom- 

°Logia  of  Christ  found  at  Beh-  ily  on  Jeremiah  xx.3 ;  Didymus. 

nesa.    Cf.   Mat.  v.6;   John  i.io;  Cf.    Luke    xii.49;    iii.i6;    Mark 

Baruch  iii.38.  ix.49;  xii.34. 

^Salvianus   de    Gubernio,   VH,  'Harnack,    from    Acta     Petri 

14.    Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.4,  5.    This  is  Vercell.,  10;  Cf.  John  viii.23,  etc. 

a  fragment  of  a  Latin  hexameter  'Clement    of    Rome,    Epistles, 

verse   from   some  old   Christian  ii.4,   5.     Cf.   Luke   xiii.27;    Mat. 

poet  like  Juvencus ;  my  transla-  vii.23;  xviii.20;  John  xiii.23. 
tion    is   partly    conjectural,   and 


CHRIST  INSTRUCTS  THE  APOSTLES       245 

thou  be  put  to  shame.     But  when  thou  hast  seated  thyself  (16) 
in  a  lower  place,  and  a  lesser  than  thou  cometh,  so  shall  thy  ^•^'^^ 
host  say  to  thee,  "Go  up  higher,"  and  that  shall  be  pleasing 
unto  thee.^ 

He  said  to  the  apostles :  I  have  chosen  you  before  the 
world  was  made.^  There  shall  be  with  me,  also,  my  twelve 
servants.^  I  will  select  to  myself  these  things.  Very, 
very  excellent  are  those  whom  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven 
hath  given  me.*  Ye  have  dismissed  the  living,  who  was 
before  you,  and  talk  of  the  dead. 

Ye  shall  be  called  by  my  name,  and  ye  shall  be  the  temple 
of  my  Godhead.^ 

Blessed  is  the  man  whom  his  Lord  shall  appoint  to  the 
ministry  of  his  fellow-servants.® 

What  ye  preach  in  word  to  the  people,  that  set  before 
every  man  in  your  works.'' 

Thou  shalt  keep  what  thou  hast  received,  neither  adding 
thereto  nor  taking  away  therefrom.^ 

A  share  is  allotted  to  all  by  the  Father,  according  as  each 
person  is  or  shall  be  worthy.^ 


'Codex  D,  after  Mat.  xx.28; 
see  Westcott  and  Hort,  New 
Testament,  p.  572.  Cf.  Luke 
xiv.8-io;  John  v.44. 

''Resch,  69,  p.  299;  Ephraem 
Syrus,  Evang.  Cone.  Expositio. 
Cf.  Eph.  1.4;  Luke  vi.13;  John 
vi.70;  xiii.18. 

^Codex  Askew,  p.  215.  Cf. 
John  xii.26. 

^Eusebius,  Theophania,  IV,  13 ; 
from  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews.  Cf. 
Luke  vi.i3.  The  following  not 
very  intelligible  sentence,  a  pos- 
sible logion,  is  from  Augustine, 
Contra  Adversarium  Legis  et 
Prophet.,  II,  4,  14.  The  apostles 
had  asked  what  they  should  think 
of  the  prophets. 

"Agathangelus,  c.  37;  I  have 
slightly  altered  the  form  of  this 
20 


in  translation.     Cf.  Jas.  ii.7. 

'Clementine  Homilies,  III,  64; 
Cf.  Mat.  xviii.28  seq. ;  xxiv.46, 
etc. 

'The  Teaching  of  Addaeus.  I 
have  thrown  the  contents  of  this 
excerpt  into  the  form  of  a  pos- 
sible logion  of  Christ  in  the  first 
person.  Cf.  I  John  iii.i8;  Mat. 
V.16;  xxiii.3;  John  xiii.17;  Jas. 
1.25. 

*Resch,  62,  pp.  134,  267,  293; 
Didache,  IV,  13 ;  Barnabas ;  Her- 
mas ;  The  Two  Ways ;  Constitu- 
tions ;  Eusebius;  Irenaeus;  Ter- 
tullian.  Cf.  Rev.  xxii.i8,  19;  I 
Tim.  V.21 ;  I  Cor.  xi.23 ;  Gal.  i.9 ; 
I  Cor.  XV.  I ;  Deut.  iv.2. 

"Irenaeus  against  Heresies,  V, 
36.  Cf.  parables  of  the  pounds 
and  of  the  talents. 


246 


CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 


(16)      Be  ye  subject  unto  kings  and  governors.^ 

The  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,  and  sufficient  unto  him 
that  laboureth  is  his  food.- 

If  any  one  doth  not  work,  let  not  such  an  one  eat.  For 
the  Lord  our  God  hateth  the  slothful.^ 

The  Lord  said  unto  the  apostles :  Should,  then,  any  one  of 
Israel  be  willing  to  repent,  so  as  to  believe  upon  God  through 
my  name,  his  sins  shall  be  forgiven  him.  After  twelve 
years,  go  out  into  the  world,  lest  any  one  say,  "We  did  not 
hear."* 

The  disciples  thus  spake  unto  Jesus :  Thou  art  a  key  to 
every  man,  and  the  one  who  shutteth  to  every  man.^ 

Jesus  said :  How  cometh  it,  that  while  so  many  go  about 
the  well,  no  one  goeth  down  into  it?®     Why  art  thou  afraid 


^Resch,  ^2,  p.  302;  Mart. 
Polyc,  X,  2;  Justin  Martyr.  I 
have,  in  translating,  changed  this 
to  the  form  of  a  logion.  Cf.  I 
Pet.  ii.13,  14;  Rom.  xiii.i,  3; 
Tit.  iii.i ;  I  Tim.  ii.2. 

^Resch,  3,  p.  97;  Epiphanius, 
Heresies,  LXXX,  5.  Cf.  Luke 
X.7;  Mat.  x.io;  the  same  word 
"sufficient"  is  used  in  Mat.  x.25 ; 
vi.34.     See  also  Luke  iii.14. 

"Resch,  45,  pp.  128,  240;  Con- 
stitutions, II,  62;  Pseudo-Igna- 
tius ;  Didascalia ;  Macarius.  Cf. 
II  Thes.  iii.io;  iii.8;  Gen.  iii.19; 
Mat.  XX.3. 

^Clement  of  Alexandria,  Stro- 
mata,  VI,  5,  43 ;  Apollonius  ap. 
Eusebium ;  Codex  Askew ;  the 
last  named  says  that  Christ, 
after  His  Ascension,  descended 
again  to  earth,  and  for  eleven 
years  instructed  His  disciples  in 
various  mysteries.  The  ordinary 
punctuation  of  this  passage  from 
Clement  puts  a  period  after  the 


word  "years,"  and  only  a  comma 
after  the  preceding  word  "him." 
I  think  the  above  gives  the  true 
meaning.  Traditions  of  a  com- 
mand that  the  apostles  should 
remain  a  long  time  in  Jerusalem 
are  found  in  several  quarters, 
especially  in  Gnostic  works.  Cf. 
Acts  i.4. 

"Codex  Askew.  Not  properly 
an  Agraphon  in  this  form,  but 
probably  contains  one.  Cf.  Rev. 
iii.7. 

^Origen  against  Celsus,  VIII, 
15,  16;  quoted  from  a  lost  work 
called  A  Heavenly  Dialogue. 
I  suppose  the  idea  is,  "How 
many  walk  about  this  well  of  the 
world,  but  no  one  goes  down 
into  it  to  save  those  who  have 
fallen  into  it,  and  are  perishing." 
Cf.  Luke  xiv.5.  Also  cf.,  for 
possible  connection  in  thought, 
the  story  of  Christ's  rescuing  the 
child  from  the  well,  told  in  chap. 
X. 


THE  REPENTANCE  OF  SINNERS  247 

when  thou  hast  gone  so  far  on  the  way?     Answer:  Thou  (16) 
art  mistaken ;  for  I  lack  neither  courage  nor  weapons.^ 

He  that  wondereth  shall  reign ;  and  he  that  reigneth  shall 
rest.     Look  with  wonder  at  that  which  is  before  you.^ 

A  prophet  is  not  acceptable  in  his  own  country,  neither 
doth  a  physician  work  cures  upon  them  that  know  him.^ 

But  where  the  pains  are,  thither  hasteneth  the  physician.* 

I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance. 
For  the  heavenly  Father  desireth  rather  the  repentance  than 
the  punishment  of  the  sinner.^ 

Zaccheus,  according  to  others,  Matthias,  chief  of  the 
tax-collectors,  when  he  heard  how  the  Lord  wished  to  come 
to  him,  said,  "Behold,  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to 
the  poor ;  and  if  I  have  taken  from  any  man  by  false  accusa- 
tion, I  restore  him  fourfold."  Of  him  said  the  Lord :  The 
son  of  man  came  to-day  and  found  that  which  was  lost.® 

Behold,  I  will  make  the  last  like  the  first.^ 

My  friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong;  thou  hast  received  thine 
own  in  thy  lifetime,  take  now  what  is  thine,  and  depart.® 

For  the  Father  willeth  that  to  all  should  be  given  of  His 
gifts.® 

'Quoted  a  few  sentences  after  I  Tim.  ii.4;  Ezek.  xxxiii.ii. 

the  above,  by  Origen,  from  the  ''Clem.  Alex.,  Stromata,  IV,  6. 

same  work.    Cf.  Luke  xiv.31,  32;  The   passage   is   probably   to   be 

xxii.38.  ascribed    to    the    Traditions    of 

^Clement  of  Alexandria,  Stro-  Matthias;  Cf.  Luke  xix.8-io. 

mata,  XI,  9;  from  Gospel  of  the  '^Resch,  59,  pp.   133,  261,  292; 

Hebrews.     Cf.  Mat.  xi.29.  Barnabas,     VI,      13.     Cf.     Rev. 

^Logia    of    Christ    found     at  xxi.5 ;  Mat.  xx.i6;  xix.30;  Mark 

Behnesa.     Cf.  Luke  iv.24;   Mat.  x.31 ;       Luke       xiii.30;       Ezek. 

xiii.57;  Mark  vi.4;  John  iv.44.  xxxvi.ii ;  Is.  xliii.18;  II  Cor.  v.27. 

*Ephraem  Syrus,  Evang.  Cone.  *Zahn,  Kanon,  II,  455 ;  words 

Expositio.     Cf.  Luke  v.31 ;  Mat.  ascribed  to  Christ  by  Sergius  the 

ix.i2.  Paulician     reformer;     cf.     Mat. 

^Resch,  SI,  pp.  130,  252;  Justin  xx.13;  Luke  xvi.25. 

Martyr,  Apology,  II,  15.     Cf.  II  "Resch,  53,  pp.   131,  255,  292; 

Pet.  iii.9.    The  first  part  is  Mat.  Didache,  I.  5 ;  Hermas ;  Consti- 

ix.13,    which    I    allow    to    stand  tutions ;     John     of     Damascus; 

here,  just  as   it  does  in  Justin,  Apostolic  Fathers  of  Cotelerius. 

to  show  the  connection.    Cf.  also  Cf.  Jas.  i.17;  I  Cor.  vii.7. 


248 


CHRIST'S  WORD— THE  AGRAPHA 


(i6)      From  above,  I  am  about  to  be  crucified.^ 
(30)      Pqj.  those  that  are  sick,  I  was  sick,  and  for  those  that 
hunger,  I  suffered  hunger,  and  for  those  that  thirst,  I  suf- 
fered thirst.^ 

The  weak  through  the  strong  shall  be  saved.^ 

Be  saved,  thou  and  thy  soul.'* 

Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and 
Christ  shall  give  thee  light.^ 

In  whatsoever  I  may  find  you,  in  this  also  will  I  judge 
you.     Such  as  I  may  find  thee,  I  will  judge  thee.^ 

The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  His,  both  those  that  are 
near  and  those  that  are  far  off  J 

My  mystery  is  for  me  and  for  the  sons  of  my  house. 
Keep  the  mystery  for  me  and  for  the  sons  of  my  house.^ 


V 


*Origen  on  John,  torn.  XX, 
12;  attributed  by  Origen  to  the 
Acts  of  Paul.  This  saying,  in  the 
form,  "I  am  going  to  be  crucified 
again,"  is  the  foundation  of  the 
well-known  Quo  Vadis  story, 
found  in  the  Passion  of  Peter 
and  Paul,  and  in  many  other 
apocryphal  compilations.  Peter, 
fleeing  from  Rome  to  escape 
persecution,  meets  the  Lord,  and 
asks  Him  where  He  is  going.  The 
Lord  replies,  "I  am  going  to 
Rome  to  be  crucified  again,"  etc. 
Cf.  Heb.  vi.6. 

'Resch  47,  pp.  129,  244;  Ori- 
gen on  Matthew,  tom.  XHL  2. 
Cf.  Heb.  iv.15;  Mat.  viii.17;  Is. 
Iiii4. 

^Resch  15,  pp.  102,  153,  280; 
The  Two  Ways ;  Minucius  Felix. 
Cf.  I  Cor.  i.25;  Mat.  ix.12;  Rom. 
viii.3;  Luke  iii.i6. 

*Resch,  8,  p.  98;  Theodotus, 
Excerpta  apud  Clem.  Alex.,  2. 
Probably  from  the  Gospel  of  the 
Egyptians ;  the  last  word  in  the 
logion  should  possibly  rather  be 


translated  "life."  Cf.  Luke  xvii.32, 
3S;  Gen.  xix.17;  Mark  viii.35; 
Mat.  xvi.25;  x.39;  John  xii.25. 

"Resch,  37,  pp.  112,  222,  289; 
Eph.  V.14.  Resch  thinks  this  is 
taken  from  some  account  of 
Christ's  raising  the  dead. 

*Resch,  39,  pp.  112,  227,  290;  I 
give  this  in  two  representative 
forms,  as  reported  by  Justin 
Martyr,  Trypho,  47;  and  Basil, 
Epistle  to  Chilo.  Also  given  by 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  Hippo- 
lytus,  Amphilochius,  and  eleven 
others  to  whom  Resch  refers. 
Cf.  Phil,  iii.2;  Ezek.  xxxiii.20; 
xviii.30. 

^Resch,  31,  pp.  109,  204,  288; 
Constitutions,  H,  54;  V,  16.  I 
have  slightly  changed  the  form 
of  this  sentence  in  translation. 
Cf.  Eph.  ii.17;  II  Tim.  ii.19;  Is. 
lvii.19. 

^Resch,  17,  pp.  103,  167,  282. 
The  logion  is  given  substantially 
as  I  have  translated  it  for  my 
first  sentence,  by  Clement  of  Al- 
exandria, Stromata,  VI,  10 ;  The- 


RENUNCIATION  OF  THE  WORLD 


249 


For  my  brethren  and  fellow-heirs  are  those  who  do  the  (16) 
will  of  my  Father.     And  call  no  man  your  father  upon  ^■^^ 
earth ;  for  there  are  many  masters  upon  earth,  but  in  heaven 
is  the  Father  from  whom  is  all  the  family  in  heaven  and 
earth.^ 

Our  dwelling  place  is  in  heaven.^ 

For  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away.^ 

The  world  shall  be  built  up  through  grace.^ 

Buy  for  yourselves,  O  children  of  Adam,  through  these 
transitory  things,  which  are  not  yours,  that  which  is  yours, 
and  which  passeth  not  away.^ 

Why  marvel  ye  at  the  signs?  I  give  unto  you  a  great 
inheritance,  which  the  whole  world  hath  not.^ 

Show  yourselves  tried  money-changers/  It  is  thine,  O 
man,  to  prove  my  words,  as  silver  and  money  are  proved 
among  the  exchangers. 

Care  for  those  things  which  are  necessary  for  the 
body,  and  be  anxious  about  nothing  further  save  virtue.* 


odoret ;  Chrysostom ;  Sym- 
machus  and  Theodotus ;  John  of 
Damascus  and  Hilary:  as  in  the 
second  sentence,  by  the  Clem- 
entine Homilies.  Cf.  I  Cor.  iv.l, 
2;  Mark  iv.ii,  34;  Mat.  vii.6;  is 
probably  from  the  Gospel  of  the 
Hebrews. 

^Resch,  32,  pp.  109,  207 ;  Clem- 
ent of  Alexandria,  Fragments, 
20;  Hippolytus;  Epiphanius.  Cf. 
Mat.  xii.50;  xxiii.9;  Eph.  iii.is; 
Mark  iii.3S ;  Luke  viii.21. 

^Resch,  40,  pp.  114,  229;  Justin 
Martyr  on  the  Resurrection,  IX ; 
Acta  Apostolorum  Apocrypho- 
rum,  Fabricius.  Cf.  Phil,  iii.20; 
Heb.   xiii.14;   John  xiv.2. 

'Resch,  19,  pp.  104,  171 ;  Di- 
dache;  Theodore  Balsamo.  Cf.  I 
Cor.  vii.31 ;  I  John  ii.17;  Luke 
xxi.33 ;  Mark  xiii.31 ;  Mat.  xxiv. 
35;  Job  xvii.ii. 


^Ephraem  Syrus,  Evang.  Cone. 
Expositio.  Cf.  I  Cor.  iii.9. 

^Ephraem  Syrus,  Evang.  Cone. 
Expositio.    Cf.  Luke  xvi.9,  12. 

°Resch,  29,  pp.  108,  193;  Ma- 
carius.  Homily  XH,  17.  Cf.  Eph. 
i.i8,  19;  Acts,  xx.32;  I  Pet.  i.4. 

^Resch,  43,  pp.  116,  233;  Clem- 
ent of  Alexandria,  Stromata,  I, 
28 ;  Origen ;  Clementines ;  Con- 
stitutions; indeed,  nearly  all  the 
Church  writers.  Resch  gives 
sixty-nine  citations  of  this 
logion,  which  is  by  far  the  most 
widely  known  of  any.  It  is  in 
most  cases  quoted  in  direct  con- 
nection with  I  Thes.  v.21.  The 
second  sentence,  from  Clemen- 
tine Homilies,  III,  61,  I  give  as 
essentially  another  version  of 
this. 

^Theodorus  Monachus,  Catena 
on  Matthew.    I  have  changed  the 


250 


CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 


{i6)  Those  who  wish  to  see  me,  and  to  lay  hold  upon  my  king- 
dom,  must  receive  me  through  tribulation  and  suffering.^ 

Blessed  are  they  who  are  persecuted  by  righteousness ; 
for  they  shall  be  perfect.  And  blessed  are  they  who  are 
persecuted  for  my  sake ;  for  they  shall  have  a  place  where 
they  shall  not  be  persecuted.- 

Watch  ye,  praying  without  ceasing,  to  escape  from 
affliction.^ 

Be  ye  watchful,  circumspect,  and  well-instructed,  since 
the  ancient  enemy  goeth  about  attacking  the  servants  of 
God.* 

The  tempter  is  the  wicked  one.^ 

Give  no  pretext  to  the  evil  one.® 

If  ye  resist  the  devil,  he  will  be  conquered,  and  flee  from 
you  in  disgrace.^ 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation ;  for  when 
he  is  tried,  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord 
hath  promised  to  them  that  love  Him.* 


form  of  this  so  as  to  express  pos- 
sible words  of  Christ  in  direct 
discourse.  Cf.  Rom.  xiii.14;  Phil. 
iv.8. 

^Resch,  10,  pp.  100,  143,  278; 
Barnabas,  VII,  11;  Macarius; 
Hermas ;  Lactantius ;  Prochorus. 
My  translation  is  a  free  one.  Cf. 
Acts  xiv.22.  For  parallels  to 
first  clause,  see  John  xvi.i6; 
Luke  ii.26.  With  second  clause, 
compare  II  Cor.  i.6;  Acts  ix.i6; 
I  Thes.  iii.4;  Rev.  ii.io;  Mark 
xii.34. 

^Clement  of  Alexandria, 
Stromata,  IV,  6.  Logion  is  in- 
troduced by  the  words,  "Or,  as 
some  who  transpose  the  Gospels 
say."   Cf.  Mat.  v.io-12. 

^Resch,  70,  p.  300;  Ephraem 
Syrus.    Cf.  I  Thes.  v.17. 

*Resch,    73,    p.    307;    Pseudo- 


Cyprian  de  Aleatoribus,  V.  Cf. 
I  Pet.  V.8;  I  Tim.  iii.6;  II  Tim. 
ii.26. 

"Resch,  42,  pp.  IIS,  2S3;  Clem- 
entine Homilies,  III,  55.  Cf.  I 
Thes.   iii.5 ;    Mat.   xiii.39. 

*Resch,  34,  pp.  no,  211;  Clem- 
entine HomiHes,  XIX,  2.  Cf. 
Eph.    iv.27. 

'Resch,  56,  pp.  132,  257;  Her- 
mas, Commandments,  XII,  5.  In 
translating,  I  have  supplied  the 
word  "devil,"  in  place  of  the 
pronoun.  Cf.  Jas.  iv.7;  I  Pet. 
v.8,  9;  Eph.  vi.ii,  13. 

*Resch,  52,  pp.  130,  252;  Apoc- 
ryphal Acts  of  Philip ;  but  I  have 
used  the  exact  version  in  Jas. 
i.i2.  Cf.  also  I  Cor.  ix.25;  I  Pet. 
V.4;  Rev.  ii.io;  iii.ii ;  II  Tim. 
ii.5;  iv.8. 


TEMPTATION  AND  PRAYER  251 

A  man  that  is  a  reprobate  is  not  tried  by  God.     A  man  (16) 
who  is  not  tempted  is  not  approved.^ 

He  that  is  lawless,  let  him  be  lawless  still ;  and  he  that  is 
righteous,  let  him  be  righteous  still." 

There  is  a  shame  which  leadeth  unto  death,  and  there  is  a 
shame  which  leadeth  unto  life.^ 

Ye  shall  be  as  lambs  in  the  midst  of  wolves.  And  Peter 
answered,  and  said  unto  him,  "What,  then,  if  the  wolves 
shall  tear  in  pieces  the  lambs?"  Jesus  said  unto  Peter, 
"The  lambs  have  no  cause,  after  they  are  dead,  to  fear  the 
wolves ;  and  in  like  manner,  fear  ye  not  them  that  kill  you, 
and  can  do  nothing  more  vinto  you ;  but  fear  Him  who,  after 
ye  are  dead,  hath  power  over  both  soul  and  body,  to  cast  them 
into  hell  fire."* 

Pray  ye,  and  faint  not.^ 

Ask  great  things,  and  the  small  shall  be  added  unto  you ; 
and  ask  heavenly  things,  and  the  earthly  shall  be  added  unto 
you.^ 

If  ye  keep  not  that  which  is  small,  who  will  give  you  that 
which  is  great  ?  For  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  that  is  faithful 
in  very  little,  is  faithful  also  in  much.'^ 

^Resell,  26,  pp.  108,  187;  Con-  '^Resch,  67,  p.  297;  Aphraates. 

stitutions,  II,  8;  Didascalia.    Cf.  Cf.  Luke  xviii.i ;  I  Thes.  v.17;  II 

II  Cor.  xiii.5-7;  Jas.  i.i2,  13;  I  Thes.   iii.13;   Gal.   vi.g;   II   Cor. 

Cor.  xi.19.    I  have  given,  above,  iv.i,  16. 

two  versions  of  this;  TertulHan,  'Resch,  41,  pp.  114,  230;  Origen 

de    Baptismate,    XX,    also    has,  de  Oratore,  2;  Clement  of  Alex- 

" Watch    and    pray     (saith    the  andria;       Eusebius;       Ephraem 

Lord),  lest  ye  fall  into  tempta-  Syrus.     Cf.    Col.    iii.i,   2;    Mat. 

tion;  for  withal,  the  word  hath  xxv.29;     vi.33;     xiii.12;     Mark 

gone    before,    that    no    one    un-  iv.25;      Luke     viii.iS;      xix.26; 

tempted  should  attain  the  celes-  xii.31. 

tial  kingdom."  'Resch,  7,  pp.  98,  278 ;  Clement 

^Resch,  60,  pp.  133,  263;  Euse-  of  Rome,  11,8;  Irenaeus;  Hilary, 

bias,  Church  History,  V,  i.    Cf.  Cf.    Luke   xvi.io;    Mat.    xxv.21. 

Rev.  xx.ii.  The  second  sentence  is  identical 

'Resch,  25,  pp.    107,   186;   Je-  with    Luke    xvi.io.    Many    have 

rome   on    Ezekiel     xvii.    Cf.    I.  supposed   this   fragment    to    be 

Cor.  vii.io;  Eccles.  iv.21.  from   the   Gospel   of  the  Eg)^- 

*Clement  of  Rome,  II,  5.     Cf.  tians. 
Mat.  X.I 6,  28. 


252         CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)      Let  my  name  be  hallowed  in  your  hearts.^ 

First  must  the  one  who  prayeth,  who  offereth  his  prayer, 
well  consider  his  gift  to  see  whether  there  be  any  spot  found 
in  it ;  and  then  shall  he  offer  it,  that  his  offering  remain  not 
upon  the  earth.^ 

Let  the  Holy  Spirit  come  upon  us  and  cleanse  us.^ 

Those  who  walk  in  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  the  sons  of 
God.* 

Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  which  is  in  you,  and  extinguish 
not  the  light  which  shineth  within  you.° 

Just  now,  my  mother,  the  Holy  Spirit,  took  me  by  one  of 
my  hairs,  and  bare  me  away  to  the  great  mountain  Tabor.^ 

The  spirit  that  dwelleth  in  us  lusteth  to  envy;  but  He 
giveth  more  grace. '^ 

God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  unto  the 
humble.^ 

The  Lord  said  to  Peter:  Verily  thine  eye  shall  never  be 
closed  in  eternity  for  the  light  of  this  world.'' 

Doubt  not,  that  ye  sink  not  into  the  world,  as  Simon  when 
he  doubted  and  began  to  sink  into  the  sea.^*' 


*Agathangelus,    yz.     Cf.    Luke  inine.   Cf.  Mat.  xvii.i.  The  form 

xi.2.  "Thabor"   is  generally  given   in 

^Aphraates.    Cf.  Mat.  v.23,  24.  Mss.  to  the  name  of  the  moun- 

^Gregory  of  Nyssa,  I,  p.  7Z7'>  tain. 

Maximus.     Another    version    of  ^Resch,  54,  pp.   131,  256,  292; 

the  petition  in  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Jas.  iv.S,  6.     Cf.  also  Gal.  v.17; 

Cf.  Luke  xi.2;  Mat.  vi.io.  Rom.  viii.5-8;  John  iii.6. 

*Resch,   68,   p.   298;   Ephraem  ^Resch,  55,  pp.  131,  257;  Clem- 

Syrus,   Evang.   Cone.   Expositio.  ent   of   Rome,    1,   30;    Ephraem 

Cf.   Rom.  viii.14;    Mat.   v.9;   II  Syrus;     Ignatius;     Clement     of 

Cor.  xii.18;  Gal.  v.i6.  Alexandria;  Pseudo-Ignatius.  Cf. 

^Resch,  36a,  pp.  Ill,  215;  Pseu-  Jas.  iv.6;  Prov.  iii.24. 

do-Cyprian  de   Aleatoribus,   III.  °Vita    Schnudi     (an    Egyptian 

Cf.  Eph.  iv.30;  I  Thes.  V.19;  Mat.  monk  of  the  fifth  century),  p. 

V.15;  vi.23;  Luke  xi.35.  312.    This  passage  comes  from  a 

^Origen  on  John,  tom.   II,  6;  document  related  to  the  Didache. 

Jerome.     From    Gospel   of   the  I   do  not  understand  the  refer- 

Egyptians.      A     gross     Gnostic  ence  in  it.    Cf.  John  xxi.22. 

idea;    several   Gnostic   sects   re-  '"Aphraates,     Homily     I.     Cf. 

garded  the  Holy  Spirit  as  fem-  Mat.  xiv,  28-31. 


CHARITY  AND  GOODNESS  253 

He  that   ploweth,    should   plow   in   hope;   and   he   that  (16) 
thresheth  in  hope  should  be  partaker  of  his  hope.^ 

Cultivate  faith  and  hope  through  which  is  begotten  the 
love  of  God  and  of  man,  that  gaineth  everlasting  life.^ 

Charity  covereth  a  multitude  of  sins.  Love  beareth  all 
things,  is  long-sufifering  in  all  things.^ 

He  to  whom  more  is  forgiven,  loveth  more;  and  he  to 
whom  less  is  forgiven,  loveth  little.* 

Be  ye  merciful,  that  ye  may  obtain  mercy.  Forgive,  that 
it  may  be  forgiven  to  you.  As  ye  do,  so  shall  it  be  done 
unto  you.  As  ye  give,  so  shall  it  be  given  unto  you.  As 
ye  judge,  so  shall  ye  be  judged.  As  ye  are  kind,  so  shall 
kindness  be  shown  unto  you.  With  what  measure  ye  mete, 
with  the  same  it  shall  be  measured  unto  you.^ 

Good  things  must  needs  come,  but  blessed  is  he  through 
whom  they  come.  Likewise,  evil  things  also  shall  come, 
but  woe  to  him  through  whom  they  come.'' 

Men  must  give  an  account  of  every  good  word  which 
they  shall  not  speak.'^ 

No  one  shall  be  called  good  who  mixeth  evil  with  the 
good.* 

He  keepeth  the  good  which  he  hath,  and  increaseth  more 
and  more.^ 

^Resch,  20,  pp.  105,  171 ;  Epis-  Polycarp,   Macarius,  the  Didas- 

tle    to    Diognetus.     Cf.    I    Cor.  calia,     and     Constitutions.     Cf. 

vii.31 ;  Jas.  V.7;  II  Tim.  ii.6;  I  Luke  vi.36-38;  Mat.  vii.i,  2. 

Cor.  iii.g.  "Resch,   13,  pp.   loi,   152,  279; 

*Resch,  23,  pp.   106,   179,  284;  Clementine    Homilies,    XII,    29; 

Macarius,      Homily      XXXVII.  Clementina;       Aphraates.        Cf. 

Cf.  I  Cor.  xiii.13.  Rom.    iii.8;    Mat.    xviii.7;    Luke 

^Resch,  49,  pp.  129,  248;Didas-  xvii.i. 
calia,   II,  3;   I,  49;    Clement  of  ^Cod.   C    of    the    Palestinian- 
Alexandria;    Clement   of   Rome.  Syriac  Lectionary,  at  Mat.  xii.36. 
Cf.  I  Pet.  iv.8;  Jas.  v.20;  I  Cor.  Tseudo-Ignatius  to  the  Tral- 
xiii.4  seq.  lians,  VI,  ancient  Latin  version 

*Cyprian,  Test.   Ill,   116.     Cf.  of  same.   Cf.  Rom.  xii.9. 

Luke  vii.47.  °Resch,  57,  pp.  132,  258;  Clem- 

"Resch,  2,  p.   96;   Clement  of  entine    Homilies,    III,    36.     Cf. 

Rome,  I,  13,  and  Clement  of  AI-  Rev.  ili.ii;  ii.2S;  Mat.  xiii.12. 
exandria;  portions  also  given  by 


254        CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 


(i6)      For  gall  doth  not  mix  well  with  honey.^ 
^■^^^      If  concupiscence  or  malice  shall  ascend  into  the  heart  of 
man,  it  shall  be  taken  for  the  deed  itself.- 

Let  thy  works  shine,  and,  behold,  a  man  and  his  works 
are  before  His  face.     For,  behold  God  and  His  works.^ 

A  city  built  upon  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  and  stablished, 
can  neither  fall  nor  be  hid.* 

All  things  whatsoever  ye  would  not  that  a  man  should 
do  unto  you,  do  ye  not  unto  another.  And  what  thou 
hatest,  thou  shalt  not  do  unto  another.^ 

Be  ye  angry,  and  sin  not ;  let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon 
your  wrath.*'     Anger  destroyeth  even  the  prudent. 

Render  not  evil  for  evil,  or  railing  for  railing,  or  blow 
for  blow,  or  cursing  for  cursing.'' 

Pray  for  your  enemies,  and  blessed  are  those  who  mourn 
on  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  unbelievers.^ 


^Muratorian  Fragment ;  Ire- 
naeus,  III,  17,  has,  "Badly  is  gyp- 
sum mixed  in  the  pure  milk  of 
God."  It  is  doubtful  whether  this 
is  intended  to  be  ascribed  to 
Christ.  It  seems,  however,  to  be 
a  figurative  form  of  the  second 
logion  above,  or  of  this  one.  Cf. 
Jas.  iii.ii. 

^Tertullian  on  Idolatry,  23.  Cf. 
Mat.  V.28. 

^Resch,  61,  pp.  133,  265;  Clem- 
ent of  Alexandria,  Stromata,  IV, 
26;  Constitutions;  Tertullian; 
Pseudo-Ignatius ;  Augustine.  Cf. 
for  the  main  part  of  the  logion, 
Rev.  xxii.12;  Ps.  lxii.12;  Is. 
xl.io;  Ixii.ii. 

*Logia  of  Christ  found  at  Beh- 
nesa.   Cf.  Mat.  v.  14;  vii.24,  25. 

''Resch,  I,  p.  95 ;  the  negative 
correlate  to  the  Golden  Rule; the 
first  form  above  is  given  by 
Didache,  I,  2;  Theophilus ;  The 
Two  Ways ;  Tischendorfs  Ad- 
ditions to  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 


tles :  the  second  form  by  Clement 
of  Alexandria,  Stromata,  II,  23 ; 
Didascalia ;  Constitutions.  Cf. 
Luke  vi.31 ;  Mat.  vii.12;  Tobit 
iv.is.  This  logion  gives  precise- 
ly the  form  of  Confucius'  cele- 
brated negative  Golden  Rule. 

°Resch,  33,  pp.  no,  210;  Poly- 
carp  to  the  Philippians,  II,  12; 
Clement  of  Alexandria ;  Origen ; 
Constitutions;  Life  of  St,  Syn- 
cletica.  Cf.  Eph.  iv.26;  Mat. 
v. 22-25 ;  Ps.  iv.4.  For  the  second 
sentence,  see  Didascalia,  II,  3. 

^Resch,  48,  pp.  129,  244,  291 ; 
Polycarp  to  the  Philippians,  II, 
2 ;  Ephraem  Syrus ;  Anastasius 
Sinaita.  I  have  used  version 
of  the  first  named,  but  translated 
it  using  the  first  person.  Cf.  I 
Pet.  iii.9;  Rom.  xii.17;  I  Thes. 
V.15;  Mat.  v.38-42;  Luke  vi.27- 
30;  I  Pet.  ii. 23;  Ps.  cix.28. 

'Didascalia,  V,  15.  Cf.  Luke 
vi.28. 


CHRIST'S  OMNIPRESENCE  255 

Amongst  the  greatest  offenders  is  he  who  woundeth  the  (16) 
spirit  of  his  brother.^     Never  be  joyful  except  when  ye  shall 
look  upon  your  brother  in  love.^ 

As  one  of  you  seeth  himself  in  the  water  or  in  a  glass,  so 
see  ye  me  in  you.^ 

Having  seen  thy  brother,  thou  hast  seen  thy  God.* 

I  am  thou,  and  thou,  I.  And  wheresoever  thou  art,  there 
am  I  also ;  and  I  am  in  all  scattered.  And  whence  thou  wilt, 
thou  canst  gather  me  together ;  but  when  thou  gatherest  me 
together,  thou  gatherest  thyself  together.^ 

Wherever  there  are  [unbelievers],  and  there  is  one 
[believer]  alone,  I  am  with  him.  Raise  the  stone  and  there 
thou  shalt  find  me,  cleave  the  wood  and  there  am  I.^ 

Where  one  is,  there  am  I  also.  And  where  two  are,  there 
also  will  I  be,  and  when  we  are  three.^ 

Be  ye  joined  unto  the  saints,  because  they  that  are  joined 
unto  them  shall  be  sanctified.* 

He  that  seeketh  me  shall  find  me  in  children  after  the 
seventh  year.  For  there,  to  become  hidden  in  the  fourteenth 
year,  I  am  manifested.^ 

^Jerome  on  Ezekiel,  XVIII,  7;  pantheistic,  of  course.     The  idea 

ascribed    to    the    Gospel    of   the  here  expressed  was  a  prominent 

Hebrews.     Cf.    Mat.   v.22.  one  in  later  Manichaeanism. 

^Jerome    on    Ephesians,    V,   3,  "Logia     of     Christ     found     at 

4;  ascribed  to  the  Gospel  of  the  Behnesa.    The  conjecture  as  to 

Hebrews.    Cf.  Mat.  v.24.  the  bracketed  words  is  probable, 

^Resch,     36b,     pp.     221,     289;  although  not  certain.     Cf.   Mat. 

Pseudo-Cyprian       de       Duobus  xviii.20;  John  xiv.20.   The  teach- 

Montibus,  c.13.     Cf.  John  xiv.20;  ing  is,  I  think,  pantheistic,  and 

Gal.    ii.2o;    I    Cor.    xiii.12;    Jas.  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the 

i.23.  passage  above  from  the  Gnostic 

*Resch,  65,  p.  296;  Clement  of  Gospel. 

Alexandria,  Stromata,  I,  19;  II,  ^Resch,  64,  p.   295;    Ephraem 

15 ;  Tertullian.    Cf.  Mat.  xxv.40.  Syrus,   Evang.    Cone.   Expositio. 

''Epiphanius,  Heresies,  XXVI,  Cf.  ibid. 
3;  quoted  from  the  Gnostic  Gos-  ^Resch,  18,  pp.  104,  169;  Clem- 
pel  of  Eve.  In  the  context,  the  ent  of  Rome,  I,  46;  Clement  of 
narrator  says  that  he,  "standing  Alexandria ;  The  Two  Ways, 
on  a  high  mountain,  heard  these  Cf.  I  Cor.  vi.17;  vii.14. 
words  in  a  voice  of  thunder."  ^Hippolytus,  Philosophumena, 
Cf.  Luke  ix,28.   The  teaching  is  V,  7;  ascribed  by  him  to  a  Gos- 


256         CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)      The  just  shall  fall  seven  times  and  shall  rise  again.^ 

If  thy  brother  sin  against  thee  by  a  word,  and  giveth  thee 
reparation,  thou  shalt  seven  times  in  a  day  accept  him. 
Then  said  Simon  his  disciple  to  him,  "Seven  times?" 
The  Lord  answered,  and  said  unto  him :  Yea,  I  say  unto 
thee,  until  seventy  times  seven.  For  even  in  the  prophets, 
after  they  were  anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  there  is  found 
a  word  of  sin.^ 

If  the  neighbour  of  an  elect  man  sin,  the  elect  man  hath 
sinned.  For  had  he  conducted  himself  as  the  word  pre- 
scribed, his  neighbor  also  would  have  been  filled  with  such 
reverence  for  the  life  he  led  as  not  to  sin.^ 

Whatsoever  brother  liveth  in  the  manner  of  the  aliens,  and 
alloweth  things  like  unto  their  deeds,  refrain  from  being  in 
his  company,  which,  unless  thou  doest,  thou  also  wilt  be  a 
partaker  with  him.* 

It  is  good  to  give  rather  than  to  receive.' 

Let  thine  alms  sweat  in  thy  hands,  until  thou  know  to 
whom  thou  shouldst  give.® 

Accept  not  anything  from  any  man,  and  possess  not  any- 
thing in  this  world.'^ 

pel    of    Thomas — not    the    one  ^Pseudo-Cyprian    de   Aleatori- 

which   treats    of   the    Infancy —  bus.   Cf.  Eph.  v.ii. 

used  by  the  Naasenes.    Cf.  Mat.  "Resch,    12,   pp.    11,   150;    Epi- 

vii.8;  xviii.5 ;  Luke  xi.io.  phanius,    Heresies,    LXXIV,  5; 

^Justin    Martyr,    Trypho.     Cf.  Anastasius     Sinaita ;     Constitu- 

Mat.  xviii.2i,  22;  Luke  xvii.4.  tions;     Didache;      Clement     of 

^Jerome  against  Pelagius,  III,  Rome.     Cf.    Acts    xx.35.     Resch 

2 ;  also  for  last  sentence,  Tischen-  thinks  that  "good"  was  found  in 

dorf,   Notitia,   Ed.   Cod.    Sin.   p.  the  original  of  the  Hebrew  Gos- 

58.     Cf.    Luke    xvii.3,    4;    Mat.  pel  which  he  assumes  to  be  the 

xviii.2i,   22.     An   expression   o£  basis  of  this  Agraphon. 

the  Gnostic  Ebionism  which  de-  °Resch,  35,  pp.    iii,  212,  288; 

spised  the  Old  Testament  proph-  Didache,   I,  6 ;   Hermas ;    Cassi- 

ets.  odorus;     Ephraem     Syrus.      Cf. 

*Clem.    Alex.    Stromata,    VH,  Eph.  iv.28;  Acts  xx.35. 
13 ;  attributed  by  him  to  the  tra-  ^Ancient     Syriac     Documents, 
ditions  of  "Matthew,"  the  apos-  Cureton  and  Wright,  p.  20;  Eph- 
tle;  probably  not  a  logion.    Cf.  raem    Syrus;    Teaching  of   Ad- 
references  of  note  above,  daeus,  Syriac  and  Armenian  ver- 


CONCERNING  ALMSGIVING  257 

Woe  unto  those  who  have,  and  in  hypocrisy  receive,  or  (16) 
who,  being  themselves  able  to  help,  receive  from  others.  ^ 
For  each  one  shall  give  an  account  to  the  Lord  God  at  the 
day  of  judgment.^ 

Another  rich  man  said  to  him,  "Master,  what  good  thing 
shall  I  do  to  live  ?"  He  said  unto  him :  Fulfil  the  law  and 
the  prophets.  He  answered  him,  "I  have  fulfilled  them." 
He  said  unto  him :  Go,  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  distribute 
to  the  poor,  and  come  follow  me.  But  the  rich  man  began 
to  scratch  his  head,  and  it  pleased  him  not.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  him :  How  sayest  thou,  "I  have  fulfilled  the  law 
and  the  prophets,"  since  it  is  written  in  the  law,  "Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself,"  and  lo,  many  of  thy  brethren, 
sons  of  Abraham,  are  clothed  in  filth,  dying  of  hunger,  and 
thy  house  is  full  of  many  goods,  and  nothing  at  all  goeth 
out  of  it  to  them.  And  he  turned,  and  said  to  Simon  his 
disciple,  who  was  sitting  by  him:  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  it  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  enter  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a 
rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.^ 

Jesus  said  unto  Cephas :  What  thinkest  thou,  Simon  ? 
The  kings  of  the  earth,  from  whom  do  they  receive  custom 
and  tribute?  from  their  sons,  or  from  strangers?  Simon 
said  unto  him,  "From  strangers."  Jesus  said  unto  him : 
Children,  then,  are  free?  Simon  said  unto  him,  "Yea." 
Jesus  said  unto  him :  Give  thou  also  unto  them,  like  the 
stranger.^ 

Woe  unto  those  who  do  anything  through  their  own 
presumption,  and  not  through  God.* 

sions;   Fragmenta   Apostolorum,  thew,    torn.    XVI,    sec.    14;    at- 

Praetorius ;  Apostolic  History  of  tributed  to  the  Gospel  of  the  He- 

Abdias.      Cf.  Luke  xii.33;  Mat.  brews.    Cf.       Mat.       xix.  16-24; 

vi.19,  20;  Phil,  iii.19,  20.  Luke  xviii. 18-25;  Mark  x.17-25. 

^Resch,  9,  pp.  99,  146;  Anasta-  ^Diatessaron  of  Tatian,  Ara- 
sius  Sinaita,  Quaestio  14;  Con-  bic  Version,  Ante-Nicene,  X,  p. 
stitutions;  Didascalia;  Clement  82,  sec.  25;  it  there  refers  to 
of  Alexandria ;  Didache ;  Her-  Mat.  xvii.26,  which  see  for  fur- 
mas.  Cf.  Luke  XX.47;  Mat.  ther  connection. 
xxiii.14;  Mark  xii.40.  ^Pseudo-Cyprian,     De     Singu- 

^Origen's  Commentary  on  Mat-  laritate    Clericorum,    43 ;    con- 


258         CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)  Woe  unto  those  who  join  together  their  offences  as  with 
a  long  rope.^ 

These  are  they  that  stretch  the  warps  and  weave  nothing.^ 

A  man  had  three  servants;  one  who  consumed  his  sub- 
stance with  harlots  and  flute-players ;  another  who  increased 
it;  and  another  who  hid  the  talent.  Afterwards,  one  was 
accepted,  one  was  blamed  alone,  and  another  was  shut  up  in 
prison.^ 

Christ  bade  men  to  abandon  and  disregard  [curious  ques- 
tions], which  cause  much  strife,  and  not  to  waste  their 
thoughts  upon  things  which  have  been  removed  far  from 
their  knowledge;  but  as  much  as  possible  to  seek  the  Lord 
of  the  universe  with  the  whole  mind  and  spirit.* 

Christ  said :  Wisdom  killeth  her  own  children.^ 

Wisdom  sendeth  forth  her  own  children.® 

God  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  and  all  things  which 
are  therein^ 

The  soul  is  altogether  impenetrable  and  hard  to  make  out. 
For  it  abideth  not  always  in  the  same  form  or  shape,  or  in 

nected  by  its  context  in  this  au-  the    proper    sense    offered    as    a 

thor  with  II  Thes.  iii.ii.  logion  of  Christ.     Cf.  I  Tim.  vi. 

^TertuUian  on  Penitence,  c.  ii.  20;  i.4;  Rom.  xiv.i ;  Tit.  iii.9. 

It  is  very  doubtful  whether  Ter-  "Tertullian,    Scorp.    c.    7.     Cf. 

tullian   intended   to   ascribe   this  Luke  xi.49.     Possibly,  it  would 

saying  to   Christ.    It  has  much  be    better    to    translate    it    in    a 

the  appearance  of  a  loose  mem-  metaphorical    sense    "confuteth," 

oriter  quotation  of  Prov.  v.22.  instead    of   the    literal    "killeth." 

^Resch,  38,  pp.  112,226;  Clem-  Resch  thinks  that  this  logion  is 

ent  of  Alexandria,   Stromata,  I,  practically  identical  with  the  one 

8.     Cf.    Phil.    ii.i6;    Mat.    vi.28;  that  follows,  and  that  its  prin- 

I  Cor.  XV.58;  I  Thes.  iii.5.  cipal    word    "jugulavit"    repre- 

^Eusebius,  Theophania ;  quoted  sents   the   translation   of  a   He- 

from  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,  brew  original  that  in  the  follow- 

I  have  slightly  changed  the  form  ing  logion  is  rendered  in  Greek, 

of  this,  which  is  evidently  a  bad  'aTrocrTcXXti 

commixture  of   Mat.   xxv.14-30;  °Resch,  4,  pp.  97,  273;  Origan, 

Luke   xv.13,   30;    xix.16-19,   and  Homily  on  Jeremiah,  xiv.5.     Cf. 

other  passages.  Luke  xi.49;  vii.31-34;  Mat.  xi.i6- 

''Arnobius,  Against  the  Heath-  19. 

en,  I,  46.    I  have  slightly  altered  'Resch,  11,  pp.  lOO,  149;  Clem- 

the  form  of  this,  which  is  not  in  entine     Homilies,     X,     3.       Cf. 


THE  SOUL— WOMEN  259 

one  condition,  so  that  any  one  might  express  it  by  a  type,  or  (16) 
might  lay  hold  upon  its  essence.^  ^^°' 

The  Lord  revealed  unto  Philip  what  the  soul  must  say 
when  it  ascendeth  to  heaven,  and  what  it  must  answer  to 
each  of  the  powers  above.  Namely,  'T  have  known  myself, 
and  have  gathered  myself  together  everywhere,  and  have  not 
begotten  children  for  the  prince  [of  this  world],  but  have 
extirpated  his  roots,  and  have  gathered  together  the  scat- 
tered members,  and  know  who  thou  art.  For  I  am  one  of 
those  above."  And  if  it  so  speaketh,  it  is  absolved.  But 
if  it  is  convicted  that  it  hath  borne  a  son,  it  is  kept  below, 
until  it  can  take  its  children  up  and  draw  them  to  itself.^ 

Salome  said,^  "Until  when  shall  death  have  dominion?" 
He  said :  As  long  as  ye  women  bring  forth.  For  I  came  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  woman,*  namely,  of  lust ;  of  the 
works,  namely,  of  birth  and  of  destruction.^  And  she  said, 
"I  did  well,  then,  in  not  bringing  forth."  The  Lord  an- 
swered, saying :  Eat  every  herb,  but  of  that  which  hath 
bitterness,  eat  not."  And  Salome,  inquiring  concerning 
when  the  things  in  regard  to  which  he  spake  should  be 
known,  and  when  his  kingdom  should  come,  the  Lord  said: 

Acts     xvii.24;     Gen.     i.i;      Ps.  of   this    doctrine   by   the    Mani- 

cxlvi.6 ;   Luke  x.21 ;   Mat.   xi.25-  chaeans  are  given  by  the  Church 

27.  writers. 

^Hippolytus,     Philosophumena,  'This  whole  paragraph  repre- 

V,  v;  ascribed  there  to  the  Gos-  sents  a  passage  from  the  Gospel 

pel    of    the    Egyptians.     Cf.    II  of  the  Egyptians,  as  reconstruct- 

Cor.  V.1-4.  ed  from  fragments  found  in  the 

''Epiphanius,  Heresies,  XXVI,  Stromata  of  Clement  of  Alexan- 

13;    quoted    from    the    Gnostic  dria,  viz.  Ill,  vi.45 ;  ix.63,  64,  66; 

Gospel  of  Philip.     Cf.  I  Pet.  i.9.  xiii.92.     All  the  preceding  part  is 

Grossly  pantheistic.     The  refer-  probably  but   Gnostic   amplifica- 

ence  to  the  soul's  answer  to  the  tion  of  the  logion  at  the  end  of 

powers  presents   the   old   Egyp-  this  paragraph, 

tian  idea  of  the  ceremonials  con-  ''With    this    sentence,   compare 

tained  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead.  Mat,  v.17;  xix.12. 

The  view  of  the  soul's  chief  duty  ^This   sentence,   from  the   last 

is  precisely  that  of  later  Mani-  note,  is  probably  to  be  ascribed 

chaeanism.     Disgusting   illustra-  to  Clement, 

tions  of  the  practical  application  ®Cf.  Gen.  iii.1-3;  ii.i6,  17. 


26o         CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)  When  ye  shall  trample  under  foot  the  garment  of  modesty/ 
when  the  two  shall  be  one,  and  that  which  is  without  as  that 
which  is  within,  and  the  male  with  the  female  neither  male 
nor  female.- 

If  ye  do  not  make  what  is  on  the  right  to  be  left,  and  the 
left  right,  and  what  is  above  to  be  below,  and  what  is  before 
to  be  behind,  ye  shall  not  perceive  the  kingdom  of  God.  If 
ye  do  not  make  your  low  things  high,  and  your  crooked 
things  straight,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  my  kingdom.^ 

Let  not  the  one  who  is  married  put  away  [his  wife],  and 
he  who  is  unmarried,  let  him  not  marry.  Let  him  who  for 
the  sake  of  chastity  hath  agreed  not  to  marry,  remain  un- 
married.* 

Let  the  women  be  subject  unto  their  own  husbands.^ 

The  son  and  daughter  shall  inherit  alike.® 

Even  if  a  woman  doth  all  that  is  right,  and  yet  once  com- 
mitteth  the  sin  of  adultery,  she  must  be  punished.'^ 

Keep  the  flesh  holy  and  the  seal  unspotted,  that  ye  may 
receive  eternal  life.^  Preserve  ye  the  flesh,  that  ye  may 
become  partakers  of  the  spirit. 

^Cf.  Gen.  iii.7,  21.  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians.    Cf.  I 

^This  final  logion,  Resch  gives  Cor.  vii.32-40;  vii.io,  11. 
as  30,  pp.  109,  195,287.  As  given  "Resch,  24,  pp.  107,  185;  Con- 
by  Clement  of  Rome,  II,  12,  2,  it  stitutions,  VI,  29;  Didascalia. 
begins,  "The  Lord  himself  hav-  Cf.  I  Cor.  xiv.34,  ZTy  Eph.  v.22, 
ing  been  asked  by  some  one  24;  Col.  iii.18;  Tit.  ii.5;  I  Pet. 
when  his  kingdom  will  come,  iii.i,  5;  Gen.  iii.i6. 
said:  When  the  two  shall  be  'Talmud  Shabbath,  fol.  116, 
one,  etc."  Cf.  Eph.  ii.14,  16;  col.  i,  2.  This,  from  Jewish 
iv.4;  Gal.  iii.28;  Mark  vii.21 ;  II  sources,  claims  to  be  written  in 
Cor.  xi.2;  Mat.  xxii.30.  the  Gospel;  cf.  Gal.  iii.28. 

^Pseudo-Linus      de      Passione  ^Clementine     Homilies,     XIII, 

Petri   et   Pauli;   Acts   of   Philip  14.     It  is  doubtful  whether  this 

according    to    Cod.    Oxon.     Cf.  is  really  quoted  here  as  a  word 

John  iii.3,  5.     This,  of  which  I  of  Christ ;  I  have  slightly  changed 

give  the  two  versions,  resembles  its     form.     Cf.   John   xviii.i-ii; 

in    form    the    foregoing    logion,  Luke  vii.36. 

and  is  probably  only  a  variant  of  'Resch,  46,  pp.  128,  243 ;  Clem- 

the  same.  ent  of  Rome,  II,  8 ;  Acts  of  Paul 

^Clement  of  Alexandria,  Stro-  and  Thecla.     The  seal,  of  course, 

mata,  III,  15;  probably  from  the  refers  to  baptism,    Cf.  II  Cor. 


THE  COMING  OF  ANTICHRIST  261 

The  flesh  must  be  contended  with,  be  evil  entreated,  and  (16) 
its  unbridled  lust  in  no  way  be  yielded  to ;  but  the  soul  must ' 
be  made  to  grow  through  faith  and  knowledge.^ 

Should  any  one  for  this  reason  kiss  [a  woman]  a  second 
time,  because  she  pleased  him,  [he  committeth  sin].  Men 
must  therefore  act  thus  with  extreme  caution  in  the  kiss  [of 
peace],  (or  rather  the  salutation),  as  knowing  that,  if  per-  q 
chance  it  should  be  sullied  by  thought,  it  would  place  them 
out  of  the  pale  of  eternal  life.^ 

If  any  one  shall  leave  all  things  for  my  name's  sake,  at  the 
second  coming  he  shall  inherit  everlasting  life." 

Many  shall  come  in  my  name,  clothed  outwardly  in  sheep's 
clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves.  And  there 
shall  be  schisms  and  heresies.  Many  false  Christs  and  false 
apostles  shall  arise  and  shall  deceive  many  of  the  faithful.* 

They  are  false  Christs  and  false  teachers,  who  have  blas- 
phemed the  Spirit  of  grace,  and  done  despite  to  the  gift  they 
had  from  Him,  after  the  grace  [of  baptism],  to  whom  for- 
giveness shall  not  be  granted,  neither  in  this  world  nor  in 
that  which  is  to  come.^ 

A  false  prophet  must  first  come  from  some  deceiver;  and 
then  in  like  manner,  after  the  removal  of  the  holy  place,  the 
true  Gospel  must  be  secretly  sent  abroad  for  the  rectification 
of  the  heresies  that  shall  be.  And  then,  toward  the  end,  shall 
appear  the  world-deceiver  as  Son  of  God,  and  shall  do  signs 

xi.2;  Eph.  i.13.  The  sentence  *Resch,  21,  pp.  105,  173,  282; 
following  is  found  in  Clement,  Justin  Martyr,  Trypho,  35; 
II,  14,  and  has,  I  think,  little  Clementines ;  Didascalia ;  Clem- 
claim  to  be  regarded  as  a  logion.  ent  of  Alexandria ;  Hegesippus ; 

^Clem.  Alex.,  Stromata,  III,  4.  Acta  Archelai ;  Vincent  of  Ler- 

Attributed  by  him  to  the  Teach-  ins ;   Lactantius.     The  first   sen- 

ings   of   Matthias ;   cf.   Gal.  vi.8,  tence    differs    little    from    Mat. 

etc.  vii.15 ;    the    second,    little    from 

'Athenagoras,  Legatio,  S3-    Cf.  Mat.    xxiv.ii,    24.     Cf.    also    II 

Mat.  V.28;  Rom.  xvi.i6;  I  Cor.  Pet.  ii.i. 

xvi.20;  II  Cor.  xiii.12;  I  Thes.  ^Resch,  50,  pp.  130,  249;  Con- 

V.26.  stitutions,  VI,  8.    Cf.  II  Pet.  ii.i ; 

'Agathangelus,     Ed.     of     La-  Mat.    xii.31,    32;     Mark    iii.29; 

g^rde,  p.  34.    Cf.  Luke  xviii.29,  Luke    xii.io;    Heb.    vi.4;    x.29; 

30;  xiv.26;  v.ii;  Mat.  x,37.  Rom.  v.  15;  Jude  4, 
21 


262         CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 

(i6)  and  wonders ;  and  the  earth  shall  be  delivered  into  his  hands, 
and  he  shall  do  iniquitous  things  which  have  never  yet  come 
to  pass  since  the  beginning;  and  after  this,  the  eternal  light 
having  sprung  up,  all  the  things  of  darkness  must  disap- 
pear.^ 

Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see 
his  shame.^ 

What  I  say  unto  one  of  you,  I  say  unto  all.^ 

Then  shall  the  wicked  go  away  into  everlasting  punish- 
ment, but  the  righteous  shall  go  into  life  eternal,  to  inherit 
those  things  which  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  have 
entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  such  things  as  God  hath  pre- 
pared for  them  that  love  Him.* 

Good  things  are  prepared  which  the  angels  desire  to  look 
into.^ 

Often  did  I  desire  to  hear  one  of  these  words,  and  I  had 
not  one  to  tell  me.® 

The  days  will  come  in  which  vines  shall  grow,  having  each 
ten  thousand  branches,  and  in  each  branch  ten  thousand 
twigs,  and  in  each  true  twig  ten  thousand  shoots,  and  in 

^Resch,  44,  pp.    127,  239;    Di-  pus;     Clementina;     Clement    of 

dache  XVI,  4 ;  Clementine  Hom-  Rome;     Pseudo-Clement;     Aga- 

ilies,  II,  17;  which  two  accounts  thangelus;   Martyr.   Polyc.     The 

I    have   combined :    also    similar  introductory    clauses    differ    but 

matter  is  found  in  the  Epistle  of  slightly  from  Mat.  xxv.46.     Cf. 

Barnabas;  Excerpts  from  Theo-  also   Mat.   xxv.34,  41.     For  the 

dotus;    Origen;    and    Constitu-  main  part,  compare  I  Cor.  ii.g; 

tions.    Cf.  II  Thes.  ii.4, 8,  9;  Mat.  Is.  lxv.17.   Jerome  says  that  this 

xxiv.ii,  24;  Is.  xi.4.    Legends  of  was  contained  in  the  apocryphal 

the  Antichrist  are  more  fully  re-  Ascension  of  Isaiah,  but  in  no 

ferred  to  in  chap.  XXI.  version  of  that,  which  has  come 

^Resch,  74,  p.  310;  Rev.  xvi.is.  down  to  us,  is  it  preserved.    It 

Cf.  Mat.  xxiv.43 ;  Luke  xii.39.  seems  to  be  related  to  a  passage 

^Resch,  66,  p.  297;  Optatus  de  in  the  Apocalypse  of  Elijah. 

Schismate    Donatistarum,    I,    I.  °Resch  71,  p.  301 ;  Excerpts  of 

Cf.  Mark  xiii.37.  Theodotus  from  Clement  of  Al- 

*Resch,   16,  pp.   102,   154,  281 ;  exandria.    Cf.  I  Pet.  i.12. 

Constitutions,  VII,  32 ;  Clement  "Irenaeus,  I,  20,  2 ;  Epiphanius. 

of       Alexandria ;       Athanasius ;  An    extra-canonical    parallel    to 

Epiphanius;    Origen;    Hegesip-  Luke  x.24;  Mat.  xiii.17. 


CONCERNING  THE  MILLENNIUM  263 

every  one  of  the  shoots  ten  thousand  ckisters,  and  on  every  (16) 
one  of  the  clusters  ten  thousand  grapes,  and  every  grape  ^^'^ 
when  pressed  will  give  five  and  twenty  metretes  of  wine. 
And  when  any  one  of  the  saints  shall  lay  hold  of  a  cluster, 
another  shall  cry  out,  "I  am  a  better  cluster,  take  me; 
bless  the  Lord  through  me."  In  like  manner,  a  grain  of 
wheat  shall  produce  ten  thousand  ears,  and  every  ear  shall 
have  ten  thousand  grains,  and  every  grain  shall  yield  ten 
pounds  of  clear,  pure,  fine  flour ;  and  apples,  and  seeds,  and 
grass  shall  produce  in  similar  proportions ;  and  all  animals, 
feeding  then  only  on  the  productions  of  the  earth,  shall  be- 
come peaceable  and  harmonious,  and  be  in  perfect  subjection 
to  man.  And  Judas  the  traitor,  not  believing,  and  asking, 
"How  shall  such  growths  be  accomplished  by  the  Lord?" 
the  Lord  said :  They  shall  see  who  shall  come  to  them. 
These,  then,  are  the  times  mentioned  by  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
"And  the  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard 
shall  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and  the  calf,  and  the  young  lion, 
and  the  fatling  together,  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them."^ 

By  way  of  reproach,  he  said  to  Jerusalem  :  Sodom  is  justi- 
fied of  thee.^  O  Father,  let  their  temple  be  deso- 
late.^ The  Gentiles  are  justified  more  than  ye.* 

Many  shall  come  from  the  east,  and  from  the  west,  the 

^Irenaeus  against  Heresies,  V,  Scandinavian  and  other  mythol- 
33.  Irenaeus  ascribes  this  famous  ogies.  The  passage  seems  to  be 
fragment  to  Papias,  who  claimed  largely  borrowed  from  the  Apoc- 
that  he  had  received  the  tradi-  alypse  of  Baruch. 
tion  from  John  the  apostle.  Cf.  ^Resch,  58,  pp.  133,  259;  Con- 
Rev.  xxii.2.  For  notes  on  the  stitutions,  II,  60 ;  Origen.  I  have 
banquet  of  the  thousand  years,  slightly  changed  the  form  of  the 
see  chap.  XIV.  The  Codex  As-  clause  introducing  this  logion. 
kew  speaks  of  "the  thousand  Cf.  Rev.  xi.8;  Luke  x.12;  Mat. 
years,  according  to  the  years  of  xi.20. 

light."  See  Resch,  p.  451.  The  ^Resch,  6,  p.  98;  Hippolytus, 
sacred  tree,  a  subject  which  has  Demonstratio  adv.  Judaeos,  VIL 
a  voluminous  literature  of  its  Cf.  Luke  xiii.35 ;  Mat.  xxiii.38. 
own,  is  suggested  by  this  pas-  *Resch,  28,  pp.  108,  192;  Con- 
sage.  It  played  a  leading  part  in  stitutions,  II,  60.  Cf.  Gal.  iii.8; 
Rabbinical  legend,  as  well  as  in  Rom.  xi.ii;  Ezek.  xvi.52. 


264 


CHRIST'S  WORDS— THE  AGRAPHA 


(16)  north,  and  the  south,  and  shall  recline  on  the  bosoms  of 
^^°'^  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob.^ 

Prophesying  concerning  the  temple,  he  said :  See  ye  these 
buildings?  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  there  shall  not  be  left 
here  one  stone  upon  another  which  shall  not  be  taken  away ; 
and  this  generation  shall  not  pass  until  the  destruction 
begin.  For  they  shall  come  and  shall  sit  here,  and  shall 
besiege  it,  and  shall  slay  your  children  here.- 

I  will  cleanse  the  house  of  my  kingdom  from  every 
stumbling  block.^ 

Whoso  reedeemeth  souls  from  idols,  he  shall  be  great  in 
my  kingdom.* 

Of  the  hire  of  an  harlot  hath  she  gathered  them,  and  to  the 
hire  of  an  harlot  shall  they  return ;  from  filth  it  came,  to  the 
place  of  filth  shall  it  go.^ 

Be  ye  valiant  in  war,  and  fight  with  the  ancient  enemy, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  everlasting  kingdom.'' 

Neither  did  he  sin  at  all,  nor  his  parents,  but  that  the 


^Clementine  Homilies,  III,  15; 
cf.  Mat.  xxiv.34;  Luke  xix.43. 

^Clementine  Recognitions,  IV, 
4;  cf.  Luke  xiii.29. 

'Resch,  63,  p.  295;  Ephraem 
Syrus,  Evang.  Cone.  Expositio. 
I  have  changed  form  of  this 
from  third  to  first  person.  Cf 
Mat.  xiii.41 ;  xviii.7;  iii.12;  Luke 
xvii.i. 

*Acta  Thomae,  vi,  (Apocrypha 
Anecdota,  2d  Sen).  For  this 
and  the  ten  following  Agrapha, 
I  have  to  thank  Prof.  James 
Hardy  Ropes,  of  Cambridge,  and 
regret  exceedingly  that  his  most 
valuable  treatise,  "Die  Spriiche 
Jesu  die  in  den  Kanonischen 
Evangelien  nicht  Uberliefert 
sind,"  was  not  earlier  brought  to 
my  notice. 

''Mishna,  Aboda  Zara,  i6b,  17a. 
In  this  narrative    Rabbi  Akiba 


relates  that  a  Christian,  Jacob  of 
Kephar  Sekhanya,  asked  him 
whether  it  were  lawful  to  build 
a  draught-house  for  the  high 
priest  with  the  hire  of  an  harlot. 
Cf.  Deut.  xxiii.  18.  The  Rabbi 
knew  not  what  to  say,  but  the 
Christian  answered  the  question 
with  this  alleged  saying  of 
Christ.  See  Mic.  1.7.  Ropes  is 
inclined  to  accept  this  Agraphon 
as  authentic,  but  it  appears  to  me 
like  a  Jewish  attempt  to  ridicule 
Christian  teaching.  I  believe 
that  Edersheim  also  takes  the 
latter  view. 

*'01d  English  Homilies  and 
Homiletic  Treatises  of  the 
Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  Centur- 
ies, R.  Morris,  London,  1868.  Cf. 
Heb.  xi.34;  Rev.  xii.9;  xx.2;  II 
Pet.  i.ll. 


VARIOUS  SAYINGS 


265 


power  of  God  might  be  made  manifest  through  him  in  heal-  (16) 
ing  the  sins  of  ignorance.^ 

To  his  chosen,  he  saith:    Go  ye  out  of  the  house  of  my 
Father.^ 

Let  us  resist  all  iniquity  and  hold  it  in  hatred.* 

The  Saviour  himself  testified  that  Solomon  was  wiser  than 
all  who  came  before,* 

Few  things  are  needful,  or  one.^ 

Blessed  is  he  who  also  fasts  for  this,  that  he  might  feed 
the  poor.*^ 

Honour  the  demons,  not  that  ye  may  be  assisted  by  them, 
but  that  they  may  not  injure  you  J 

The  Father  begat  me,  he  said,  and  I  came  forth  from  the 
Father,  and  am  here.^ 


'Clementine  Homilies,  xix,  22. 
This  refers  to  the  man  who  was 
born  blind,  and  was  healed  by 
Christ.     See  John  ix.  2,  3. 

""Excerpts  of  Theodotus  from 
Clement  of  Alexandria.  Cf. 
John  ii.  16. 

'Barnabas,  iv,  9  (in  Latin  ver- 
sion). This,  which  is  quoted  as 
an  Agraphon  by  several  writers, 
originated  in  a  clerical  error. 
The  Greek  makes  this  clear. 

*PhiIastrius,  Haer.  134.  Ropes 
thinks  this  is  only  an  ordinary 
allusion  to  Mat.  xii.42;  Luke  xi. 

31. 

"Jerome's  Epistle  to  Eusto- 
chius;  also  in  various  Mss.  as 
alternative  reading  for  Luke  x.42. 


'Origen,  Homily  on  Lev.  x.2. 
Attributed  by  him  to  "a  certain 
book." 

^Euthymius  Zigabenus,  Pano- 
plia  Dogmatica,  tit.  xxvii.20. 
Current  among  the  Bogomiles. 
Cf.  Mat.  xxiii.3. 

^Epiphanius,  Haer.  lxix.53. 
Ropes  thinks  this  is  only  a  false 
citation  of  Ps.  ii.7.  Cf.  Heb.  i.5 ; 
John  V.36,  2)7 ;  vi.39.  I  have  not 
included  in  my  list  of  Agrapha 
readings  of  the  text  of  the  four 
Gospels  which,  whilst  rejected 
by  Westcott  and  Hort,  are  found 
in  the  authorized  version.  A 
number  of  such  are  given  by 
Ropes. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  WORDS  OF  CHRIST— MISCELLANEOUS. 

Christ  teaches  the  Disciples  on  the  Mount  of  Olives 
— Speaks  of  the  World  to  come — Why  Death  reigns 
— Why  Some  Lives  are  prolonged — The  Witnesses 
against  Antichrist — Gives  the  Disciples  His  Mysti- 
cal Names — Shows  them  Hell — Reveals  other  hid- 
den Names — Tells  of  their  Potency — His  Promise  to 
Mary — Story  of  the  Three  Travellers — A  Parable — 
— Warnings  against  Love  of  Riches — Many  Moham- 
medan Agrapha. 

Main  Sources:  (5) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  i,  30-32. 

(15) — History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter,  Bohairic  Ver- 
sion, I,  30-32. 
(29) — Mohammedan  Legends. 
(31) — Teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  to  His  Disciples. 
(32) — Passing  of  Mary,  First  Latin  Form. 

(5)  It  happened  one  day,^  when  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  was 
sitting  along  with  his  disciples,  and  they  were  all  assembled 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives,^  that  he  said  to  them,  "O  my 
brethren  beloved  and  friends,  sons  of  my  good  Father  who 

'The  introduction  to   (5),  the  left  it  in  the  Hbrary  at  Jerusalem, 

greater  part  of  which  is  embod-  ^This  is  a  favourite  scene  for 

ied  in  chap.  XIV,  and  the  first  narratives   embodied   in   Gnostic 

and  last  parts  of  which  I  place  works,  e.  g.  Pistis  Sophia.    It  is 

here    amongst      the      pretended  often  mentioned  in  the  N.  T.  as 

teachings  of  Christ   during  His  the  theatre  of  discourses  to  the 

public   ministry,    states   that   the  apostles.    Cf.  Mat.  xxiv.3;  Mark 

holy  apostles  preserved  this  con-  xiii.3. 
versation,    wrote    it    down,   and 

(266) 


THE  WORLD  TO  COME  267 

hath  chosen  you  from  all  men,  ye  know  that  I  have  often 
told  you  that  I  must  be  crucified,  and  must  die  for  the  salva- 
tion of  Adam  and  his  posterity,  and  that  I  shall  rise  from  the 
dead.  Now  I  shall  commit  to  you  the  doctrine  of  the  holy 
Gospel  formerly  announced  to  you,  that  ye  may  declare  it 
throughout  the  whole  world.  And  I  shall  endow  you  with 
power  from  on  high,  and  fill  you  with  the  Holy  Spirit.^  And 
ye  shall  declare  to  all  nations  repentance  and  remission  of 
sins.-  For  a  single  cup  of  water,^  if  a  man  shall  find  it  in 
the  world  to  come,  is  greater  and  better  than  all  the  wealth - 
of  this  whole  world.  And  as  much  ground  as  one  foot  can 
occupy  in  the  house  of  my  Father,  is  greater  and  more  excel- 
lent than  all  the  riches  of  the  earth.  Yea,  a  single  hour  in  the 
joyful  dwelling  of  the  pious  is  more  blessed  and  more 
precious  than  a  thousand  years  among  sinners  ;*  inasmuch  as 
their  weeping  and  lamentation  shall  not  come  to  an  end,  and 
their  tears  shall  not  cease,  nor  shall  they  find  for  themselves 
consolation  and  repose  at  any  time  for  ever.  And  now,  O 
my  honoured  members,  go  declare  to  all  nations,  tell  them, 
and  say  to  them,  'Verily,  the  Saviour  diligently  inquireth 
into  the  inheritance  which  is  due,  and  is  the  administrator  of 
justice.'  And  the  angels  will  cast  down  their  enemies,  and 
will  fight  for  them  in  the  day  of  conflict.  And  He  will 
examine  every  single  foolish  and  idle  word  which  men  speak, 
and  they  shall  give  an  account  of  it.^  For  as  no  one  shall 
escape  death,  so  also  the  works  of  every  man  shall  be  laid 
open  on  the  day  of  judgment,  whether  they  have  been  good 
or  evil.''  Tell  them  also  this  word  which  I  have  said  to  you 
to-day,  'Let  not  the  strong  man  glory  in  his  strength,  nor  the 
rich  man  in  his  riches;  but  let  him  who  wisheth  to  glory, 
glory  in  the  Lord.'  "^  Then  did  the  Saviour  relate  unto  his 
apostles  the  history  of  his  father,  the  righteous  old  man 
Joseph  the  carpenter.^ 

'Cf.  Luke  xxiv.49;  Acts  i.8.  "Cf.  II  Cor.  v.io;  I  Cor.  iii.is. 

*Cf.  Luke  xxiv.47.  'Cf.  Jer.  ix.23,  24;  I  Cor.  i.31 ; 

'Cf.  Mat.  X.42.  11  Cor.  x.17. 

'Cf.  Ps.  Ixxxiv.io.  'I  have  supplied  *is  sentence. 
'Cf.  Mat.  xii.36. 


268      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

(5)  And  the  apostles,  when  they  heard  these  things^  from  the 
^  Saviour,  rose  up  joyfully,  and  prostrated  themselves  in 
honour  of  him,  and  saluted  his  hands  and  his  feet,  and  said, 
"O  our  Saviour,  show  us  thy  grace.  Now  indeed  we  have 
heard  the  word  of  life;  nevertheless  we  wonder,  O  our 
Saviour,  at  the  fate  of  Enoch  and  Elijah,"  inasmuch  as  they 
had  not  to  undergo  death.  For  truly  they  dwell  in  the  habit- 
ation of  the  righteous  even  to  the  present  day,  in  the  flesh 
wherein  they  were  born,  nor  have  their  bodies  seen  cor- 
ruption. Yet  that  old  man  Joseph  the  carpenter  was,  never- 
theless, thy  father  after  the  flesh.  And  thou  hast  ordered 
us  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  holy  Gospel ;  and 
thou  hast  said,  'Relate  to  them  the  death  of  my  father  Joseph, 
and  celebrate  to  him  with  annual  solemnity  a  festival  and 
sacred  day.  And  whosoever  shall  take  away  anything  from 
this  narrative,  or  add  anything  to  it,  committeth  sin.'^  We 
wonder  especially  that  Joseph,  even  from  that  day  on  which 
thou  wast  born  in  Bethlehem,  called  thee  his  son  after  the 
flesh.  Wherefore,  then,  didst  thou  not  make  him  immortal 
as  well  as  them,  and  thou  sayest  that  he  was  righteous  and 
chosen  ?" 
(5)  And  the  Saviour  answered, and  said,  "Indeed, the  prophecy 
(^S)  of  my  Father  upoo  Adam,  for  his  disobedience,  hath  now 
been  fulfilled.  And  all  things  are  arranged  according  to  the 
will  and  pleasure  of  my  Father.  For  if  a  man  reject  the 
commandment  of  God,  and  follow  the  works  of  the  devil  by 
committing  sin,  his  life  is  prolonged ;  for  he  is  preserved  in 
order  that  he  may  perhaps  repent,  and  reflect  that  he  must 
be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  death.  But  if  any  one  hath 
been  zealous  of  good  works,  his  life  also  is  prolonged,  that, 
as  the  fame  of  his  old  age  increaseth,  upright  men  may 

^They  are  found  in  chap.  XIV  ryphal  references  to  this,  found 

of  this  work.  in   this   and   following  chapters. 

^The  later  Rabbis  extended  to  The   subject   is    discussed    by   a 

thirteen  the  list  of  those,  includ-  number   of   the    early    Christian 

ing     Enoch     and     Elijah,     who  fathers,  e.  g.  Irenaeus,  Tertullian, 

whilst  alive  entered  paradise,  and  Epiphanius. 

remained  there.    See  Eisenmen-  ^See  Rev.  xxii.lS,  19, 
ger,  I,  865.    See  also  other  apoc- 


WITNESSES  AGAINST  ANTICHRIST        269 

imitate  him,^  But  when  ye  see  a  man  whose  mind  is  prone 
to  anger,  assuredly  his  days  are  shortened  f  for  it  is  these 
that  are  taken  away  in  the  flower  of  their  age.  Every 
prophecy,  therefore,  which  my  Father  hath  pronounced 
concerning  the  sons  of  men,  must  be  fulfilled  in  every  par- 
ticular. But  with  reference  to  Enoch  and  Elijah,  and  how 
they  remain  alive  to  this  day,  keeping  the  same  bodies  with 
which  they  were  born ;  and  as  to  what  concerneth  my  father 
Joseph,  who  hath  not  been  allowed  as  well  as  they  to  remain 
in  the  body ;  indeed,  though  a  man  live  in  the  world  many 
myriads  of  years,  nevertheless  at  some  time  or  other  he  is 
compelled  to  exchange  life  for  death.  And  I  say  to  you,  O 
my  brethren,  that  every  time  Enoch  and  Elijah  remember 
death,  they  would  willingly  have  died  already ;  for  they  must 
towards  the  end  of  time  return  into  the  world  and  die — in 
the  day,  namely,  of  commotion,  of  terror,  of  perplexity,  and 
affliction.^  For  Antichrist  will  slay  four  bodies,  and  will 
pour  out  their  blood  like  water,*  because  of  the  reproach 
to  which  they  shall  expose  him,  and  the  ignominy  with 
which  they,  in  their  lifetime,  shall  brand  him  when  they 
reveal  his  impiety."^ 

^An  explanation  of  the  manner  to  be  some  reason  for  thinking 

in  which  long  life  is  allotted  that  that  Elijah  and  Moses  were  the 

would  seem  to  assure  this  bless-  two  witnesses  indicated,  but  not 

ing  both  to  the  most  wicked  and  named,   in   the  Apocalypse.     Cf. 

the  most  holy.  the  Gospel  account  of  the  wit- 

^Cf.  Job  V.2;  xix.29.  nesses    of    the    Transfiguration. 

Tor  this  whole  subject  of  the  Victorinus     identifies     the     two 

two  witnesses  who  must  be  slain,  witnesses    as    Elijah    and    Jere- 

cf.  Rev.  xi.3-12.    Jewish  expec-  miah. 

tation    was    that    Elijah    alone  *(iS)    reads,   "and    shed   their 

should  come  three   days  before  blood  upon  earth   for  a  pot  of 

the  Messiah,  and  be  slain ;    see  water."     It    knows    of   but    two 

Mai.  iv.5 ;  see  also  Eisenmenger,  witnesses,  which  certainly  marks 

II,   406,   696,    for  many   strange  the  expansion  of  the  number  to 

legends    about    this.     The   Jews  four,  in  the  Arabic  version  (5), 

knew  nothing  of  Enoch's  appear-  which  follows,  as  a  later  inter- 

ance  along  with  Elijah,  but  this  polation. 

idea  was  almost  universally  ac-  "^Opinion    in    the    Church    was 

cepted  by  the  Church  fathers.  Its  divided,  from  the  earliest  times, 

origin  is  unknown.  There  seems  as  to  whether  Antichrist  should 


270      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 


(5)  And  the  apostles  said,  "O  our  Lord,  our  God  and  Saviour, 
who  are  these  four  whom  thou  hast  said  Antichrist  will  cut 
off  from  the  reproach  they  bring  upon  him  ?"  The  Lord  an- 
swered, "They  are  Enoch,  Elijah,  Schila,  and  Tabitha."^ 
When  the  apostles  heard  this  from  the  Saviour,  they  rejoiced 
and  exulted ;  and  they  offered  all  glory  and  thanksgiving  to 
the  Lord  God  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ.^ 
(3O  And  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  spake  to  his  disciples,  and 
said  unto  them,  "Receive  again  and  keep  my  word,  together 
with  my  names ;  reject  it  not,  despise  it  not,  treat  it  not  like 
fools,  dishonour  it  not.  Give  ear,  for  I  tell  you  things  which 
are  certain.  Know  and  perceive  how  ye  shall  be  saved 
from  your  sins,  for  my  word  is  strong  and  powerful,  as  well 


as  my  names.  "* 

be  Satan  incarnate,  or  only  a 
desperately  wicked  man.  The 
latter  view  is  probably  held  here, 
whilst  the  former  idea  is  plainly 
given  in  the  following  chapter. 
For  a  good  popular  discussion 
of  the  subject,  see  Baring- 
Gould's  Curious  Myths  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  and  for  a  more 
thorough  discussion,  see  The 
Antichrist  Legend,  Bousset, 
Keane,  London,  1896. 

'For  Tabitha,  see  Acts  ix.36. 
As  to  Schila,  some  suggest  that 
it  may  be  intended  for  the  name 
of  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain. 
T  think  it  much  more  likely  that 

•it  is  intended  for  the  daughter 
of  Jairus,  raised  by  Christ.  See 
Mark  iv.22-42;  Luke  viii.41-50. 
This  is  rendered  more  probable 
by   the   words   "Talitha   Cumi," 

'Used  in  Mark  iv.41.  By  one  of 
those  verbal  confusions  so  com- 
mon in  apocryphal  literature,  the 
first  part  of  this  has  been  identi- 
fied or  associated  with  Tabitha. 
The  compiler  evidently  intends  to 


add  two  female  witnesses  to  the 
traditional  two  male  ones.  Later, 
a  third  witness,  generally  John 
the  Baptist,  was  commonly  add- 
ed to  the  two.  And  there  is 
often  confusion  between  him 
and  John  the  Divine,  a  special 
fitness  for  the  latter's  acting  as 
one  of  the  witnesses  being  de- 
rived from  the  belief  that  he 
never  died,  founded  on  John 
xxi.22-23.  The  legend  that  he 
still  sleeps  at  Ephesus  is  well 
known,  and  this  again  is  prob- 
ably the  origin  of  the  yet  more 
famous  legend  of  the  Seven 
Sleepers,  which  proceeds  from 
the  same  city. 

^(5)  here  ends  with  a  doxology 
that  contains  expressions  taken 
from  the  liturgy  of  the  Greek, 
Coptic,  and  Syrian  churches. 

^Cf.  perhaps,  for  the  slight  jus- 
tification by  the  N.  T.  of  the  be- 
lief in  the  magical  potency  of 
names,  so  wide-spread  among 
Oriental  Christians,  Phil,  ii.9; 
Eph.  i.2i;  Heb.  i.4;  Rev.  ii.17; 


CHRIST'S  MYSTICAL  NAMES 


271 


Then  he  spake  unto  them  his  names,  and  added,  "Elohe  (31 ) 
signifieth  venerable;  Sourahe,  great;  Demanahel,  that  which 
obscureth  all ;  Aqbader,  most  high ;  Abyater,  He  who  chas- 
tiseth ;  Adanael,  He  hath  pardoned ;  Kenya,  wise ;  Geyon, 
rich;  Sequa,  judge;  S'equa,  sovereign  master;  Qatanaoui, 
creator  of  all ;  Satanaoui,  lyaguanadi ;  lyael,  every  one  feareth 
Him;  Amanouel,  of  whom  the  light  is  not  extinguished; 
Oegzio,  help;  Afrael,  guardian  and  salvation;  Maryon,  He 
who  holdeth  all  in  His  hand;  Nolaoui,  essence;  El,  El; 
El,  Elohe;  Elohe,  He  who  supporteth  all;  Akonou,  patient; 
Heda,  healer;  H'et'a,  He  who  rejoiceth  all;  Yaoui-yaoui, 
just ;  S'abaot,  sweet ;  Efo-efo-efo,  humble ;  Ofekyour,  con- 
stant ;  Elohe-Elohe- Elohe,  exempt  from  sin ;  Mendyos,  just ; 
Afera-Afera-Afera,  He  who  giveth  and  who  taketh;  Efo, 
with  the  frightful  voice ;  Afrona,  not  given  to  anger ;  Afelt, 
the  kings;  Lah'an,  Lord  of  lords;  Ourael,  the  first  magis- 
trate^    There  is  no  other  Lord  beside  him,  either  in  the 


xix.l2,  16,  etc.  The  Jewish  be- 
lief in  the  potency  of  the  "incom- 
municable name  of  God,"  is  well 
known.  See  Eisenmenger,  .y.  v. 
"Schem  Hammphorasch"  for 
many,  and  often  amusing  illus- 
trations of  it.  Such  a  belief, 
however,  seems  to  be  common  to 
all  religions ;  it  is  the  funda- 
mental idea  of  magic;  it  is  even 
kept  alive,  figuratively  speaking, 
to  the  present  time,  in  the  pass- 
words, etc.,  of  secret  societies. 
The  ancient  Egyptian  religion, 
however,  carried  this  belief  to 
the  greatest  height;  its  great 
work,  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  is 
but  a  collection  of  such  formu- 
laries. The  Egyptian  believed 
that  the  name  was  the  real  es- 
sence of  anything,  and  that  one 
who  possessed  the  name  of  a 
god,  who  pronounced  it  at  the 
proper  time  and  place,  with 
proper    intonation,    could    com- 


mand the  god  as  he  could  a 
slave.  It  is  hence,  I  think,  that 
Gnosticism,  and  from  it  Chris- 
tian superstition,  of  which  the 
above  document  is  a  fair  speci- 
men, derived  the  idea  of  its 
magical  names  and  formularies. 
All  the  world  has  had  its  period 
when  it  tried,  by  magic,  to  com- 
pel the  gods  to  grant  its  requests. 
'I  think  it  hardly  edifying  to 
discuss  the  origin  and  meaning 
of  the  individual  names  in  this 
list.  Some  of  them  are  Ethiopic 
forms  of  Hebrew  names  of  God, 
the  angels,  etc. ;  others  are  pure 
Ethiopic;  the  debt  to  Gnosticism 
is  evident.  Many  of  these  names 
are  found  repeated,  amongst  doc- 
uments that  I  know,  in  the  Pray- 
er of  the  Virgin  at  Bartos,  the 
Prayer  of  the  Virgin  at  Gol- 
gotha, the  Prayer  of  Theophilus, 
in  Vassiliev,  and  the  Prieres 
Magiques  of  Basset. 


272      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

heavens  above  or  in  the  earth  beneath.  He  it  is,  Jesus 
Christ  the  Lord  of  sabaoth,  holy,  holy,  holy,  immortal  unto 
the  ages  of  the  ages.     Amen." 

(31)  Then  the  twelve  apostles  questioned  Jesus  Christ,  and 
said  unto  him,  "Behold,  thou  hast  granted  unto  us  that 
which  we  have  asked  of  thee ;  thou  hast  shown  unto  us  the 
light  which  is  not  extinguished,  and  the  joy  which  perisheth 
not.  Make  us  now  to  behold  hell,  in  order  that  we  may 
know  its  aspect  and  its  likeness." 

(31)  The  Lord  Jesus  replied  to  them,  "It  would  be  better  for 
you  not  to  see  it,  but  I  will  show  you  hell ;  and  when  ye  shall 
have  seen  it,  ye  shall  tremble,  and  your  soul  shall  fear  to  look 
upon  it."  Then  he  showed  unto  them  the  burning  valley  of 
fire,  filled  from  the  top  even  unto  the  bottom  with  a  tainted 
odour  and  a  fetid  smoke.^  When  they  perceived  from  afar 
this  odour  and  this  smoke,  they  were  seized  with  fear  and 
trembling,  with  terror  and  anguish ;  they  fell  upon  their 
faces,  shedding  bitter  tears.  Life  departed  from  them,  and 
they  became  as  dead  men  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights.^ 
The  Lord  Jesus  said  to  them,  "Rise  up,  my  apostles."  Then 
they  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  their  faces,  and  said, 
"We  have  seen  that  which  is  terrible  and  frightful  in  crea- 
tion ;  when  we  saw  it,  we  fell  upon  our  faces,  and  were  as 
dead  men ;  when  we  saw  its  hideous  smoke,  we  shed  bitter 
tears,  and  said,  'It  is  as  though  we  had  not  been  born.'  "^ 
The  Lord  Jesus  answered  them,  "Have  I  not  said  to  you,  Tt 
would  be  better  for  you  not  to  see  it  ?' "  "In  truth.  Lord, 
thou  saidst  thus  unto  us,"  replied  his  disciples,  "but  nov/ 
explain  to  us  how  our  friends  shall  be  saved  from  this 
devouring  fire." 

(31)      The  twelve  apostles  wept  during  twelve  years;*  then  did 

*The  description  of  hell  is  assign  this  period  to  all  inter- 
somewhat  similar  to  that  given  vals  of  time  that  it  would  des- 
in  the  Mohammedan  apocalypse,  ignate  as  marked  by  important 
printed   near    the    end    of   chap.  events. 

XVIII.    Both,  indeed,  may  come  'Cf.  Mat.  xxvi.24;  Mark  xiv.21. 

from  the  same  source,  Egyptian  *I   know   not   whether   this    is 

Gnosticism.  intended    as    a     mere    Oriental 

"Apocryphal  legend  delights  to  hyperbole,  or  whether  it  is  in- 


CHRIST'S  NAME  A  SECRET  273 

they  say  unto  the  Lord  Jesus,  "Why  didst  thou  create  our 
father  Adam  in  thy  image  and  hkeness  ?^  Dost  thou  destroy 
the  work  of  thy  hands?-  Explain  unto  us  clearly,  then,  O 
master,  how  we  shall  be  saved  from  hell  and  from  sin.  If 
thou  hast  pity  upon  us,  we  shall  be  called  just  and  innocent. 
Thou  art  now  called  the  merciful,  and  thy  clemency  mani- 
festeth  itself  upon  all  sinners  and  the  wicked,  for  thou  art 
good,  just,  blameless,  and  gentle.  There  is  no  one  like  unto 
thee.  Lord,  our  master;  there  is  no  man  that  doeth  not  evil 
in  thy  sight.  Lord.  They  are  as  the  tree  which  burneth  not,^ 
and  the  perfect  man  ig  not  able  to  exist  without  thee.  O  God, 
our  master,  smite  us  not  in  thine  anger,  and  chastise  us  not 
with  thy  rod;  for  we  are  not  able  to  support  thine  anger, 
we  are  not  able  to  escape  of  ourselves ;  save  us  with  thine 
own  hand." 

Then  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  "Say  I  not  unto  (31) 
3"0U  plainly,  'Let  not  this  thing  be  known  unto  those  who 
shall  not  be  able  to  bear  it*  and  to  keep  it  ?'  If  I  had  revealed 
unto  you  the  secret  of  my  name,  there  would  have  been  a 
torrent  of  fire  which  would  have  consumed  all  the  earth. 
For  you,  I  have  unveiled  all.  There  is  nothing  at  all  which 
I  have  hidden  from  you.  There  is  no  one  whom  I  have 
made  equal  unto  you ;  except  Mary  my  mother,  who  bare  me 
nine  months  in  her  womb,  who  enfolded  me  in  her  arms, 
who  nourished  me  with  her  milk  sweeter  than  honey  and 
sugar;  except  John,  who  baptized  me  in  the  river  Jordan, 
who  touched  my  head,  that  which  the  flame  of  fire  was  not 
able  to  do ;  except  Abraham  my  beloved,  with  whom  I  made 
a  covenant  in  the  land  of  Kirakyos,^  standing  in  a  pillar  of 

tended  to  be  taken  literally.    In  ^I   am   not   certain  as  to  the 

the    latter   case,    it    connects    it-  meaning  of  this,  but  take  it  to 

self  with   the  Gnostic   tradition  refer  to   a   proverb   designating 

that  Christ  taught  His  disciples  what  is  useless  as  like  the  wood 

twelve    years   after   His    Ascen-  that  does  not  burn, 

sion,  mentioned  in  the  notes  on  *Cf.  John  xvi.12. 

chap.  XIX.  "See  Gen.  xxii.14.   The  equiva- 

^Cf.  Gen.  v.3,  etc.  lent  in  the  Septuagint  of  the  Je- 

^Cf.  Eccles.  v,6;  Job  x.3.  hovah-jireh    of    this    verse    is 


274      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 


cloud  when  I  made  a  slieep^  descend  in  the  place  of  Isaac 
his  son ;  and  I  discovered  unto  him  all  secrets ;  except  Moses 
my  servant,  with  whom  I  made  a  covenant  in  a  pillar  of 
cloud,  to  whom  I  spake  face  to  face,  to  whom  I  gave  to  van- 
quish the  enemy,  and  whom  I  supported  during  forty  years 
as  the  leader  of  the  children  of  Israel." 

(31)  The  disciples  asked  the  Lord  Jesus  not  to  reveal  to  them 
this  thing  nor  his  hidden  name.  Jesus  said  to  them,  "Here 
it  is,  henceforth  take  it.  I  give  you  this  name ;  keep  it,  and 
let  it  strengthen  you ;  for  by  means  of  it  ye  shall  save  every 
man  from  sin.  If  ye  shall  keep  this  name,  whosoever  shall 
invoke  it,  shall  read  it,  shall  purify  himself  by  it,  and  believe 
in  it,  shall  be  saved  from  sin." 

(31)  The  Lord  Jesus  wrote  many  things  with  his  sacred  hands, 
and  gave  these  to  them  to  read.^     They  found  his  holy  name, 


Kvpios  ctSev,  from  which  the 
name  Kirakyos  has  evidently 
been  formed. 

'Neither  the  pillar  of  cloud  nor 
the  descent  of  the  sheep  from 
heaven  are  mentioned  in  Gene- 
sis. But  the  Rabbins  have  much 
to  tell  about  this  ram.  It  was 
made  for  this  purpose  by  God, 
at  dusk  on  the  sixth  day  of  crea- 
tion. It  lived  in  paradise  under 
the  shadow  of  the  tree  of  life, 
until  an  angel  brought  it  to  earth 
for  this  sacrifice,  and  then  all 
the  world  was  filled  with  the 
fragrance  from  its  fleece,  on 
which  hung  the  odours  of  the 
flowers  on  which  it  had  lain  in 
paradise.  Satan  frightened  the 
ram  away,  and  entangled  it  in 
the  thicket;  Abraham  would  not 
have  seen  it  as  he  passed  by,  but 
it  caught  his  cloak,  so  seeing  it, 
he  sacrificed  it.  The  last  trum- 
pets to  call  the  just,  and  then  the 
unjust,  from  the  dead,  shall  be 
made  of  the  horns  of  this  ram. 


^The  only  writings  of  Christ 
mentioned  in  the  N.  T.  are  those 
in  John  viii.6,  8.  Jerome  says 
that  in  this  case  He  wrote  the 
sins  of  the  woman's  accusers; 
Ambrose,  that  He  wrote  the 
words  of  Jer.  xxii.29;  Nicholas 
Lyranus,  that  He  wrote  the  ac- 
companying words  of  John  viii.7. 
But  besides  this,  with  the  Abgar 
letter  and  ante-communion 
hymn  which  appear  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  I  merely  mention 
other  apocryphal  writings  at- 
tributed to  Him,  which  either  are 
not  extant,  or  do  not  come  with- 
in the  scope  of  this  work.  Most 
of  these  are  treated  of  fully  by 
Fabricus,  I,  p.  303-321 :  i.  Christ 
is  said  at  His  ascension  to  have 
left  to  His  disciples  27  books  of 
his  teachings ;  this  evidently 
means  no  more  than  the  27  books 
of  the  N.  T.  2.  The  Moham- 
medans say  that  Christ  wrote 
one  book,  the  Gospel,  which  ac- 
cording to   some  was  taken  up 


CHRIST'S  GREATEST  NAME  275 

experienced  great  joy,  and  said,  "Be  celebrated  and  glorified, 
Lord,  our  God,  thou  who  hast  shown  us  all  this,  thou  who 
hast  given  us  thy  sacred  name."  They  invoked  his  name, 
and  said,  "Rifon,  rifon,  rifon.  Rakon,  rakon.  Pis,  pis,  pis. 
Aflis,  aflis.  Melyos,  melyos.  Enael,  enael.  S'ourael, 
s'ourael,  s'ourael.  Henael,  henael,  henael.  Noros,  noros, 
noros.  Kiros,  kiros,  kiros.  Felon,  felon,  felon.  Sires, 
sires,  sires.  Linos,  linos,  linos.  Lefernos,  lefernos,  lefer- 
nos.     Hiros,  hiros,  hiros."^ 

And  he  said,  "Of  all  these,  the  greatest  of  my  names  is  (31) 
Karseb  Elyon;^  there  is  none  of  them  which  surpasseth  it. 
There  is  no  one  who  knoweth  this  word  and  this  name," 
except  the  four  beasts  which  are  in  heaven,*  the  four  and 
twenty  celestial  elders,^  and  Mary  my  mother."  He  added, 
"By  this  name  ye  shall  be  saved,  and  all  your  sins  shall  be 
remitted  unto  you,  as  well  as  unto  all  those  who  are  with  you. 
He  who  shall  keep  it,  who  shall  invoke  it,  who  shall  believe 
on  it,  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  not  be  covered  with  shame 
before  me ;  he  shall  not  see  the  smoke  of  hell ;  he  shall  be 
purified  from  his  sins  and  his  defilements,  from  his  youth 

into  heaven,  and  the  present  the  same  remarks  may  be  made 
Gospels  forged  by  the  apostles  regarding  it.  A  Greek  element 
in  place  of  it ;  another  view  is  here,  however,  is  more  evident, 
that  the  present  Gospels  are  cor-  "Kiros,"  for  instance,  is  plainly 
rupted  forms  of  this  earlier  one.  Kr/jeos,  etc. 
For  the  Mohammedan  Gospel  'In  the  Prayer  at  Bartos  this 
of  Barnabas,  see  Fabricius,  III,  mystical  name  of  Christ  is  given 
375-  3-  Books  on  Magic  given  by  as  Alpha,  which,  of  course,  rests 
Christ  to  Peter  and  Paul,  short-  upon  Rev.  i.8,  and  correspond- 
ly  before  His  Ascension ;  men-  ing  passages.  The  Elyon  here 
tioned  by  Augustine.  4.  Epistle  used  is  an  old  Hebrew  form  of 
of  Christ  concerning  Sunday,  the  divine  name,  translated,  e.  g. 
said  to  have  fallen  from  heaven  in  Num.  xxiv.i6,  "Most  High." 
at  Jerusalem.  This  late  fabri-  ^Cf.  Rev.  ii.17. 
cation  is  found  in  many  Ian-  ''See  Rev.  iv.6. 
guages  and  localized  at  many  "See  Rev.  iv.4.  Their  names 
places.  5.  The  Liturgy  of  Our  are  given  in  the  Prayer  at  Bar- 
Saviour,  tos,  p.  21 ;  also  an  entirely  dif- 

^This  list  of  names  is  similar  ferent  list  in  Vassiliev,  p.  342. 
to  the  preceding  one,  and  much 


276      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

even  until  old  age ;  the  faults  and  offences  which  he  shall 
have  committed  shall  be  forgiven  him."^ 

(31)  Again  the  Lord  said,  "Of  all  that  which  is  written  in  my 
books,  there  is  nothing  which  surpasseth  this  word.  It  is 
stronger  than  all  prayer;  he  who  believeth  upon  it,  I  will 
save  him,  I  will  pardon  him.  I  swear  it  by  my  name,  I  swear 
it  by  my  lofty  throne,  I  swear  it  by  my  dwelling  place,  I 
swear  it  by  that  which  my  foot  treadeth  upon,  I  swear  it  by 
the  head  of  Mary  my  mother,  I  swear  it  by  the  holy  angels, 
my  messengers.  I  retract  not  that  which  I  have  spoken,  I  am 
not  unjust  in  my  judgments,  I  profane  not  my  covenant."^ 

(31)  The  Lord  said  again  to  his  disciples,  "Blessed  is  he  who 
believeth  in  this  prayer !  Blessed  is  he  w^ho  is  washed  with 
the  water  of  this  prayer !  Blessed  is  he  who  is  exorcised  with 
the  water  of  this  prayer  !^  Blessed  is  he  who  is  consoled  by 
this  prayer !  Blessed  is  he  who  heareth  this  prayer  with  his 
ears !  Blessed  is  he  who  keepeth  this  prayer,  and  becometh 
by  its  virtue  as  solid  as  the  rock !  I  will  keep  him  by  my 
strength  and  my  power,  and  I  will  love  him  like  my  disciples. 
Blessed  is  he  who  shall  bear  this  prayer  suspended  about  his 
neck  !  None  of  the  evil  spirits  shall  be  able  to  approach  him ; 
none  of  them  shall  be  able  to  touch  his  soul  or  his  body.  He 
with  whom  this  writing  shall  be,  neither  fever,  weakness,  nor 
hunger  shall  reach.  Satan  with  his  forces  shall  be  driven 
away  from  him ;  he  shall  not  approach  him ;  he  shall  depart 
from  him ;  no  robber  shall  spoil  him.  He  shall  vanquish  the 
power  of  his  enemies ;  his  house,  his  children,  and  his  ser- 
vants shall  be  blessed;  the  angels  shall  never  depart  from 

*A11    this    paragraph    is    very  is,  I  suppose,  a  transcriber  of  the 

similar  to  the  passage  from  the  document. 

Pistis    Sophia    which    is    found  ^Referring,   I    suppose,   to  the 

near  the   end  of  chap.   XXXII.  custom  of  steeping  the  prayer  in 

I     am     satisfied     that     (31)     is  water  to  hallow  that  element  for 

largely  derived  from  it,  or  from  the    above    purposes.    Vassiliev, 

some  very  similar  Gnostic  work.  p.  342,  tells  how  another  magical 

°Here  there  is  an  evident  in-  formula  is  to  be  used  in  a  sim- 

terpolation  in  the  Ms.   which  I  ilar  manner  to  help  a  child  to 

have  not  reprinted,  a  prayer  on  learn  his  letters, 
the  part  of  Oualda-Mikael,  who 


CHRIST'S  PROMISE  TO  MARY  2^^ 

him;  the  benediction  of  the  prophets  and  apostles  shall  in- 
crease upon  him;  the  spirit  of  Satan  shall  depart  from  him. 
If  thou  believest,  and  if  thou  keepest  it,  this  prayer  which 
effaceth  sins  and  transgressions,  which  saveth  the  soul  and 
the  body,  shall  be  effective  for  thee.  If  thou  recitest  it,  and 
if  thou  purifiest  thyself,  thou  shalt  obtain  the  love  and  favour 
of  kings ;  the  mouth  of  the  enemy  and  the  wounding  of  the 
lance  shall  not  come  near  thee ;  thou  shalt  vanquish,  thou 
shalt  weaken,  thou  shalt  conquer  all  the  forces  of  thine 
enemies  and  of  thine  adversaries ;  there  shall  be  no  one  who 
shall  be  able  to  do  anything  against  thee,  to  contend  against 
thee,  to  resist  thee ;  all  shall  fear  and  tremble  at  thy  word. 
When  they  shall  see  thy  face,  all  shall  be  seized  with  fear, 
and  flee.  Thy  word  shall  taste  to  all  men  like  the  honey  and 
the  salt.^  Nothing  that  men  propose  in  their  hearts,  or  of  the 
forces  they  employ,  shall  have  efficacy  against  thee.  By  this, 
each  one  shall  be  saved,  saying,  'Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour, 
to  whom  be  glory,  praise,  and  adoration  unto  the  ages  of  the 
ages.     Amen,  amen.     So  be  it,  so  be  it !'  " 

And  in  that  time,  before  the  Lord  came  to  his  passion,  and  (32) 
among  many  words  which  the  mother  asked  of  the  son,  she 
began  to  ask  him  about  her  own  departure,  addressing  him 
as  followeth,  "O  most  dear  son,  I  pray  thy  holiness,  that 
when  my  soul  goeth  out  of  my  body,  thou  let  me  know  on 
the  third  day  before ;  and  do  thou,  beloved  son,  with  thy 
angels,  receive  it."^  Then  he  received  the  prayer  of  his  be- 
loved mother,  and  said  to  her,  "O  palace  and  temple  of  the 
living  God,  O  blessed  mother,  O  queen  of  all  saints,  and 
blessed  above  all  women;  before  thou  carriedst  me  in  thy 
womb,  I  always  guarded  thee,  and  caused  thee  to  be  fed 
daily  with  angelic  food,  as  thou  knowest.  How  can  I  desert 
thee,  after  thou  hast  carried  me,  and  nourished  me,  and 

'Cf.   Ezek  iii.3;   Rev.  x.9,   10;  prayer    is    made    by    Mary    to 

Col.  iv.6.  Christ  in  the  second  year  after 

^Some    Mss.    here    add,    "and  His  Ascension,  and  the  promises 

cause  all  the  apostles  to  be  pres-  are    made    to    her    from    Him 

ent   at  my   departure."     In  the  through     the     ministry     of     an 

second  Latin  form  of  this  docu-  angel, 
ment,    the    equivalent    of    this 
22 


278      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

brought  me  down  in  flight  into  Egypt,  and  endured  many 
hardships  for  me  ?  Know,  then,  that  my  angels  have  always 
guarded  thee,  and  will  guard  thee  even  until  thy  departure. 
But  after  I  undergo  suffering  for  men,  as  it  is  written,  and 
rise  again  on  the  third  day,  and  after  forty  days  ascend  into 
heaven,  when  thou  shalt  see  me  coming  to  thee^  with  angels 
and  archangels,  with  saints,  and  with  virgins,  and  with  my 
disciples,  know  for  certain  that  thy  soul  will  be  separated 
from  the  body,  and  I  shall  carry  it  into  heaven,  where  it 
shall  never  at  all  have  tribulation  or  anguish."  Then  she 
joyed  and  gloried,  and  kissed  the  knees  of  her  son;  and 
blessed  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  who  gave  her  such 
a  gift  through  Jesus  Christ  her  son. 

(29)  Now  in  the  time  of  Jesus,  three  persons  were  once  travel- 
ling, and  they  found  a  treasure.  Then  they  said,  "We  are 
an  hungered,  so  let  one  of  us  go  and  buy  food."  Now,  as 
one  of  them  went  to  get  the  food,  he  said  to  himself,  "It 
would  be  a  good  idea  to  poison  the  food,  that  the  others  may 
eat  it  and  die,  so  that  I  alone  may  have  the  treasure."  So 
he  mingled  poison  with  the  food.  But  the  two  travellers  who 
were  left  agreed  between  themselves  that  when  he  should 
bring  the  food  they  would  kill  him.  So  when  he  brought 
the  poisoned  food,  they  put  him  to  death  ;  but  they  themselves 
ate  of  it,  and  thereupon  died.  And,  behold,  Jesus  passed  by 
with  his  disciples,  and  said,  "This  is  the  way  of  the  world ! 
Ye  see  how  it  dealeth  with  these  three ;  but  it  itself  remaineth 
in  their  condition.  Woe  unto  him  who  seeketh  the  world  in 
the  world."- 

(29)  Jesus  once  said  in  the  form  of  a  parable,  that  the  v^orld  is 
like  a  decrepit  old  woman  of  whom  he  asked,  "How  many 
husbands  hast  thou  had?"   Then  answered  she  that  she  had 

'Ms.    C.    has,    "When,    there-  the  notes  of  his  work,  Centuria 

fore,    thou    shalt    see    my   arch-  Proverbiorum  Persicorum.     The 

angel    Gabriel    coming    to    thee  particular  Mohammedan  sources 

with  a  palm  which  I  shall  send  used   by   him,    I    do    not    know. 

to  thee  from  heaven,  know  that  This   story   is   widely  circulated 

I  shall  soon  come  to  thee,  my  in  many  forms  and  ascribed  to 

disciples,  and  angels,"  etc.  various  sources. 

^From   Levinus    Warnerus   in 


MOHAMMEDAN  AGRAPHA  279 

had  so  many  that  they  could  not  be  numbered.  And  Jesus  (29) 
said,  "Then,  they  died,  and  left  thee?"  "No  indeed,"  said  she, 
'*I  killed  them,  and  put  them  out  of  the  way."  Then  said 
Jesus,  "It  is  wonderful  that  the  others  were  so  foolish,  that 
when  they  saw  how  thou  hadst  treated  these,  they  burned 
with  love  towards  thee,  instead  of  taking  example  by  them."^ 

Jesus  said :  He  who  is  greedy  of  riches  is  like  one  who 
drinketh  water  from  the  sea.  The  more  he  drinketh,  the 
more  he  increaseth  his  thirst;  and  he  ceaseth  not  to  drink 
until  he  perisheth.- 

He  said :  O  sons  of  men,  when  I  give  you  riches  and 
power,  ye  transfer  all  your  aspirations  and  all  your  care  from 
me  to  the  riches  and  power.  But  when  I  make  you  poor,  ye 
grow  weary  for  sadness  and  for  anxious  care.  Where  will 
ye  find  the  loveliness  of  my  name,  and  when  will  ye  bring  to 
maturity  reverence  for  me.^ 

Jesus  said  to  John  the  son  of  Zacharias :  If  any  one 
speaketh  something  true  about  thee,  praise  God ;  but  if  he 
uttereth  lies  about  thee,  praise  God  the  more.  For  thereby 
shall  thy  treasure  in  the  book  of  thy  works  be  increased, 
and  that  without  trouble  to  thee ;  that  is  to  say,  whatever  of 
good  that  person  hath  done  shall  in  thy  book  be  written.* 

Jesus  prayed  and  said :  O  God,  I  am  not  able  to  extirpate 
(or  overcome)  that  which  I  abhor,  nor  have  I  attained  the 
good  which  I  desired;  but  others,  and  not  I,  have  their 
reward  in  their  hands.  But  my  glory  abideth  in  my  work; 
nor  is  any  man  poorer  than  I  am.  O  God  most  high,  grant 
me  pardon.  O  God,  suffer  not  mine  enemy  to  reproach  me ; 
nor  let  my  friend  contemn  me ;  nor  add  afihction  to  my  relig- 
ion ;  nor  let  the  world  be  my  chief  aim ;  nor  set  him  over  me 
who  shall  not  pity  me,  for  thy  mercy's  sake,  O  most  merciful 
of  the  merciful.^ 

^From  Levinus  Warnerus,  as  517.    He  says  this  was  found  in 

before.  the  "Gospel." 

"From  Levinus  Warnerus.  *From   Levinus   Warnerus. 

^From    Musladini    Sadi,    Gul-  "From    Selden's    Commentary 

istan,  or  Rosarium  Persicum,  p-  on  Eutychius'  Arabic  Annals  of 


28o      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

(29)  Whosoever  shall  not  twice  be  born  from  his  mother's 
womb  shall  not  attain  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  unto 
the  knowledge  of  the  worlds.^ 

Jesus  asked  Gabriel  when  the  hour  (i.  e.  the  day  of  judg- 
ment) was  to  come?  Gabriel  answered,  ''He  whom  thou 
askest  knoweth  no  better  than  he  who  asketh."^ 

Jesus  said :  The  world  is  a  place  of  transition,  full  of  ex- 
amples ;  be  pilgrims  therein,  and  take  warnings  by  the  traces 
of  those  that  have  gone  before.^ 

Jesus  said :  Be  in  the  midst,  yet  walk  on  one  side.* 

In  the  sermons  of  Jesus  son  of  Mary,  it  is  written :  Be- 
ware how  ye  sit  with  sinners.^ 

Jesus  said :  I  have  treated  the  leprous  and  the  blind,  and 
have  cured  them ;  but  when  I  have  treated  the  fool,  I  have 
failed  to  cure  him.^ 

God  revealed  unto  Jesus :  Command  the  children  of 
Israel  that  they  enter  not  my  house  save  with  pure  hearts, 
and  humble  eyes,  and  clean  hands ;  for  I  will  not  answer  any 
one  of  them  against  whom  any  hath  a  complaint.'' 

Alexandria,  p.  58.    He  does  not  liouth,  to  whom  I  make  grateful 

give   the   precise    Arabic    source  acknowledgment.      See    Exposi- 

of   this   prayer,   which   was,   he  tory    Times,    Nov.     1893,    Dec. 

says,   ascribed   by   the   Moham-  1893,  Jan.  1894. 

medans  to  Christ.  ^Jakut's  Geographical  Lexicon, 

^John  iii.  3,  4  is  read  thus  al-  i.i 

tered  by  Hamza,  a  Mohammedan  *Baidawi,  Commentary  on  Ko- 

Gnostic,  and  one  of  the  founders  ran,  p.  71,  Ed.  Constantinop. 

of  the  Druse  religion.   See  Jesus-  ''Zamakshari,   Commentary   on 

Christ  d'apres  Mahomet,  Sayous,  the  Koran,  p.  986. 

p.  45.  'El-Mustatraf,  etc. 

^Castalani,  Commentary  on  ^El-Hadaic  El-Wardiyyah,  i. 
Bukhari,  1.163.  I  am  indebted  p.  27.  All  the  remaining  Agra- 
to  the  kindness  of  Prof.  James  pha  in  this  chapter  are  from  El- 
Hardy  Ropes,  of  Cambridge,  for  Ghazzali,  Revival  of  the  Relig- 
copies  of  this,  as  well  as  of  the  ious  Sciences.  Several  of  them 
forty-five  other  Mohammedan  might  more  properly  be  called 
Agrapha  which  follow.  They  anecdotes  concerning  Christ,  than 
appear  in  his  forthcoming  article  Agrapha,  and  would  have  found 
on  the  Agrapha  in  Hastings'  their  appropriate  settings  in  va- 
Bible  Dictionary,  and  were  first  rious  parts  of  the  narrative  of 
published  by  Prof.  D.  S.  Margo-  this  work  had  they  come  to  my 


MOHAMMEDAN  AGRAPHA  281 

Jesus  said :    Whoso  knoweth  and  doeth  and  teacheth,  shall  (29) 
be  called  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Jesus  said :  Trees  are  many,  yet  not  all  of  them  bear 
fruit;  and  fruits  are  many,  yet  not  all  of  them  are  fit  for 
food ;  and  sciences  are  many,  but  not  all  of  them  are  profit- 
able. 

Jesus  said :  Commit  not  wisdom  to  those  who  are  not 
meet  for  it,  lest  ye  harm  it;  and  withhold  it  not  from  them 
that  are  meet  for  it,  lest  ye  harm  them.  Be  like  a  gentle 
physician,  who  putteth  the  remedy  on  the  diseased  spot. 

According  to  another  version,  Jesus  said :  Whoso  com- 
mitteth  wisdom  to  them  that  are  not  meet  for  it,  is  a  fool ; 
and  whoso  withholdeth  it  from  them  that  are  meet  for  it,  is 
an  evil-doer.  Wisdom  hath  rights,  and  rightful  owners; 
and  give  each  his  due. 

Jesus  said :  Evil  scholars  are  like  a  rock  that  hath  fallen 
at  the  mouth  of  a  brook ;  it  doth  not  drink  the  water,  neither 
doth  it  let  the  water  flow  to  the  fields.  And  they  are  like 
the  conduit  of  a  latrina  which  is  plastered  outside,  and  foul 
inside;  or  like  graves,  the  outside  of  which  is  decorated, 
while  within  are  dead  men's  bones. 

Jesus  said :  How  can  he  be  a  scholar  who,  when  his  jour- 
ney is  unto  the  next  world,  maketh  for  the  things  of  this 
world  ?  How  can  he  be  a  scholar  who  seeketh  for  words  in 
order  to  communicate  by  them,  not  to  act  according  to  them  ? 

God  said  unto  Jesus :  Exhort  thyself,  and  if  thou  hast 
profited  by  the  exhortation,  then  exhort  others;  otherwise 
be  ashamed  before  me. 

Jesus  said :  Ha  man  send  away  a  beggar  empty  from  his 
house,  the  angels  will  not  visit  that  house  for  seven  nights. 

God  revealed  to  Jesus :  Though  thou  shouldst  worship 
with  the  devotion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  heaven  and  the 
earth,  but  hadst  not  love  in  God  and  hate  in  God,  it  would 
avail  thee  nothing. 

Jesus  said :  Make  yourselves  beloved  of  God  by  hating 
the  evil-doers.    Bring  yourselves  nearer  to  God  by  removing 

notice      earlier.    I      have      not      scriptural  references, 
thought  it  worth  while  to  supply 


282      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

(29)  far  from  them ;  and  seek  God's  favour  by  their  displeasure. 
They  said,  "O  Spirit  of  God,  then  with  whom  shall  we  con- 
verse ?"  Then  he  said :  Converse  with  those  whose  presence 
will  remind  you  of  God,  whose  words  will  increase  your 
works,  and  whose  works  will  make  you  desire  the  next 
world. 

Jesus  said  to  the  apostles :  How  would  ye  do  if  ye  saw 
your  brother  sleeping,  and  the  wind  had  lifted  up  his  gar- 
ment? They  said,  "We  should  cover  him  up."  He  said: 
Nay,  ye  would  uncover  him.  They  said,  "God  forbid !  who 
would  do  this?"  He  said :  One  of  you  who  heareth  a  word 
concerning  his  brother,  and  addeth  to  it,  and  relateth  it  with 
additions. 

They  say  that  there  was  no  form  of  address  Jesus  loved 
better  to  hear  than  "Poor  man !" 

When  Jesus  was  asked,  "How  art  thou  this  morning?"  he 
would  answer :  Unable  to  forestall  what  I  hope,  or  to  put 
off  what  I  fear,  bound  by  my  works,  with  all  my  good  in 
another's  hand.     There  is  no  poor  man  poorer  than  I. 

Satan,  the  accursed,  appeared  to  Jesus,  and  said  unto  him, 
"Say,  'There  is  no  God  but  God.'  "  He  said:  It  is  a  true 
saying,  but  I  will  not  say  it  at  thy  invitation. 

When  Jesus  was  born,  the  demons  came  to  Satan,  and 
said,  "The  idols  have  been  overturned."  He  said,  "This  is  a 
mere  accident  that  hath  occurred ;  keep  still."  Then  he  flew 
till  he  had  gone  over  both  hemispheres,  and  found  nothing. 
After  that  he  found  Jesus  the  son  of  Mary  already  born, 
with  the  angels  surrounding  him.  He  returned  to  the 
demons,  and  said,  "A  prophet  was  born  yesterday;  no 
woman  ever  conceived  or  bare  a  child  without  my  presence, 
save  this  one.  Hope  not,  therefore,  that  the  idols  will  be 
worshipped  after  this  night,  so  attack  mankind  through 
haste  and  thoughtlessness." 

Jesus  lay  down  one  day  with  his  head  upon  a  stone.  Satan, 
passing  by,  said,  "O  Jesus,  thou  art  fond  of  this  world."  So 
he  took  the  stone  and  cast  it  from  under  his  head,  saying: 
This  be  thine  together  with  the  world. 

Jesus  was  asked,  "Who  taught  thee?"    He  answered :  No 


MOHAMMEDAN  AGRAPHA  283 

one  taught  me.    I  saw  that  the  ignorance  of  the  fool  was  a  (29) 
shame,  and  I  avoided  it. 

Jesus  said  :  Blessed  is  he  who  abandoneth  a  present  pleas- 
ure for  the  sake  of  a  promised  (reward)  which  is  absent  and 
unseen. 

Jesus  said :  O  company  of  apostles,  make  hungry  your 
livers,  and  bare  your  bodies ;  perhaps  then  your  hearts  may 
see  God. 

It  is  related  how  Jesus  remained  sixty  days  addressing  his 
Lord,  without  eating.  Then  the  thought  of  bread  came  into 
his  mind,  and  his  communion  was  interrupted,  and  he  saw 
a  loaf  set  before  him.  Then  he  sat  down  and  wept  over  the 
loss  of  his  communion,  when  he  beheld  an  old  man  close  to 
him.  Jesus  said  unto  him :  God  bless  thee,  thou  saint  of 
God !  Pray  to  God  for  me,  for  I  was  in  an  ecstasy  when  the 
thought  of  bread  entered  my  mind,  and  the  ecstasy  was  in- 
terrupted. The  old  man  said,  "O  God,  if  Thou  knowest  that 
the  thought  of  bread  came  into  my  mind  since  I  knew  Thee, 
then  forgive  me  not.  Nay,  when  it  was  before  me,  I  would 
eat  it  without  thought  or  reflection." 

Jesus  said :  Beware  of  glances ;  for  they  plant  passion  in 
the  heart,  and  that  is  a  sufficient  temptation. 

Jesus  was  asked  by  some  men  to  guide  them  to  some 
course  whereby  they  might  enter  paradise.  He  said  :  Speak 
not  at  all.  They  said,  "We  cannot  do  this."  He  said :  Then 
only  say  what  is  good. 

Jesus  said :  Devotion  is  of  ten  parts.  Nine  of  them  con- 
sist in  silence,  and  one  in  solitude. 

Jesus  said  :  Whosoever  lieth  much,  loseth  his  beauty ;  and 
whosoever  wrangleth  with  others,  loseth  his  honour;  and 
whosoever  is  much  troubled,  sickeneth  in  his  body ;  and  who- 
soever is  evilly  disposed,  tortureth  himself. 

Jesus,  passing  by  a  swine,  said  to  it :  Go  in  peace.  They 
said,  "O  Spirit  of  God,  sayest  thou  so  to  a  swine  ?"  He  an- 
swered :    I  would  not  accustom  my  tongue  to  evil. 

Jesus  said:  One  of  the  greatest  of  sins  in  God's  eyes  is 
that  a  man  should  say  God  knoweth  what  He  knoweth  not. 

Malik,  son  of  Dinar,  said,  "J^^^^  one  day  walked  with  his 


284      CHRIST'S  WORDS— MISCELLANEOUS 

(29)  apostles,  and  they  passed  by  the  carcass  of  a  dog.  The 
apostles  said,  'How  foul  is  the  smell  of  this  dog  1'  But  Jesus 
said :    How  white  are  its  teeth !" 

Christ  passed  by  certain  of  the  Jews,  who  spake  evil  to 
him ;  but  he  spake  good  to  them  in  return.  It  was  said  to 
him,  "Verily,  these  speak  ill  unto  thee,  and  dost  thou  speak 
good  ?"    He  said :    Each  giveth  out  of  his  store. 

Jesus  said :  Take  not  the  world  for  your  lord,  lest  it  take 
you  for  its  slaves.  Lay  up  your  treasure  with  Him  who  will 
not  waste  it,  etc. 

Jesus  said :  Ye  company  of  apostles,  verily,  I  have  over- 
thrown the  world  upon  her  face  for  you ;  raise  her  not  up 
after  me.  It  is  a  mark  of  the  foulness  of  this  world  that  God 
is  disobeyed  therein,  and  that  the  future  world  cannot  be 
attained  save  by  abandonment  of  this ;  pass  then  through 
this  world,  and  linger  not  there;  and  know  that  the  root  of 
every  sin  is  love  of  the  world.  Often  doth  the  pleasure  of  ?n 
hour  bestow  on  him  that  enjoyeth  it  long  pain. 

He  said  again :  I  have  laid  the  world  low  for  you,  and  ye 
are  seated  upon  its  back.  Let  not  kings  and  women  dispute 
with  you  the  possession  of  it.  Dispute  not  the  world  with 
kings,  for  they  will  not  offer  you  what  you  have  abandoned 
and  their  world;  but  guard  against  women  by  fasting  and 
prayer. 

He  said  again :  The  world  seeketh  and  is  sought.  If  a 
man  seeketh  the  next  world,  this  world  seeketh  him  till  he 
obtain  therein  his  full  sustenance ;  but  if  a  man  seeketh  this 
world,  the  next  world  seeketh  him  till  death  cometh  and 
taketh  him  by  the  throat. 

Jesus  said :  The  love  of  this  world  and  of  the  next  cannot 
agree  in  a  believer's  heart,  even  as  fire  and  water  cannot 
agree  in  a  single  vessel. 

Jesus  being  asked,  "Why  dost  thou  not  take  a  house  to 
shelter  thee?"  said:  The  rags  of  those  that  were  before  us 
are  good  enough  for  us. 

It  is  recorded  that  one  day  Jesus  was  sore  troubled  by  the 
rain  and  thunder  and  lightning,  and  began  to  seek  a  shelter. 
His  eye  fell  upon  a  tent  hard  by;  but  when  he  came  there. 


MOHAMMEDAN  AGRAPHA  285 

finding  a  woman  inside,  he  turned  away  from  it.  Then  he  (29) 
noticed  a  cave  in  a  mountain;  but  when  he  came  thither, 
there  was  a  Hon  there.  Laying  his  hand  upon  the  lion,  he 
said :  My  God,  Thou  hast  given  each  thing  a  resting-place, 
but  to  me  Thou  hast  given  none  Then  God  revealed  to  him, 
"Thy  resting-place  is  in  the  abode  of  my  mercy,  that  I  may 
wed  thee  on  the  day  of  judgment  .  .  .  and  make  thy 
bridal  feast  four  thousand  years,  of  which  each  day  is  like  a 
lifetime  in  this  present  world;  and  that  I  may  command  a 
herald  to  proclaim,  'Where  are  they  that  fast  in  this  world? 
Come  to  the  bridal  feast  of  Jesus,  who  fasted  in  this 
world !' " 

Jesus  said :  Woe  unto  him  who  hath  this  world,  seeing 
that  he  must  die  and  leave  it,  and  all  that  is  in  it !  It  deceiv- 
eth  him,  yet  he  trusteth  in  it;  he  relieth  upon  it,  and  it  be- 
trayeth  him.  Woe  unto  them  that  are  deceived!  When 
they  shall  be  shown  what  they  loathe,  and  shall  be  abandoned 
by  what  they  love ;  and  shall  be  overtaken  by  that  where- 
with they  are  threatened !  Woe  unto  him  whose  care  is  the 
world,  and  whose  work  is  sin ;  seeing  that  one  day  he  shall 
be  disgraced  by  his  sin. 

Jesus  said :  Who  is  it  that  buildeth  upon  the  waves  of  the 
sea?    Such  is  the  world;  take  it  not  for  your  resting-place. 

Some  said  to  Jesus,  "Teach  us  some  doctrine  for  which 
God  will  love  us."  Jesus  said :  Hate  the  world,  and  God 
will  love  you. 

Jesus  said :  Ye  company  of  apostles,  be  satisfied  with  a 
humble  portion  in  this  world,  so  your  faith  be  whole;  even 
as  the  people  of  this  world  are  satisfied  with  a  humble  por- 
tion in  faith,  so  this  world  be  secured  to  them. 

Jesus  said :  O  thou  that  seekest  this  world  to  do  charity, 
to  abandon  it  were  more  charitable. 

Jesus  used  to  say:  My  condiment  is  hunger,  my  inner 
garment  fear,  and  my  outer  garment  wool.  I  warm  myself 
in  winter  in  the  sun ;  my  candle  is  the  moon ;  my  mounts  are 
my  feet ;  my  food  and  dainties  are  the  fruits  of  the  earth ; 
neither  at  eventide  nor  in  the  morning  have  I  aught  in  my 
possession,  yet  no  one  on  earth  is  richer  than  I. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT. 

The  Apostles  question  Christ — He  leads  them  up  to 
THE  Mount — The  Devil  questions  Him — The  Con- 
troversy— The  Devil  attacks  Christ — Is  suspended 
above  the  Earth — Christ   tells   about  Antichrist 

is  transfigured — his  different  appearances  to 

John — The  Authorities  wish  to  make  Him  King — 
— He  is  hidden  on  the  Mount — Comes  down  from 
the  Mount — Meets  the  Devil  who  appears  as  a 
Fisherman. 

Main  Sources:  (6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  IV. 
(20) — Acts  of  John,  3,  4,  5. 
(33) — Questions  of  Bartholomew. 
(34) — Controversy  of  the  Devil  with  Jesus  Christ,  A. 
(35) — Controversy  of  the  Devil  with  Jesus  Christ,  B. 

(33)  Before  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ's  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
the  apostles,  wishing  to  question  him,  said,  "Lord,  reveal 
unto  us  thy  mysteries."  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  "If  I  lay 
aside  my  mortal  body,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  reveal  them  unto 
you."i 

(34)  And  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  having  gone  up  to  the  moun- 
^^^'  tain^  with  Peter,^  and  Andrew,  and  the  rest  of  his  disciples, 

^This  is  the  beginning  of  the  common  with  that  incident.     In 

Questions  of  Bartholomew  from  the    Apocryphal    Revelations    of 

the     Slavic     version,     given     in  John,  whence  so  much  of   (34) 

Latin  by  Vassiliev,  p.  7  and    (35)    are   drawn,   Tabor   is 

'Tabor,      as      the      traditional  specially  named  as  the  scene.    It 

scene     of     the     Transfiguration,  is  not  mentioned  by  name  in  the 

would  seem  to  be  suggested  by  N.  T. 

a  narrative  having  so  much  in  ^(34)   here  adds,  "and  Paul." 

(286) 


THE  DEVIL  QUESTIONS  CHRIST  287 

the  Lord  fasted  forty  days.  Then  the  devil  appeared  be- 
fore his  face,  and  said  unto  him,  "1  adjure  thee  by  the  name 
of  the  great  God,  that  thou  tell  me  the  very  truth  as  to 
whence  thou  art."^  Jesus  said  unto  him,  "I  am  from  the 
eternal  and  immortal  Father."  Then  the  devil  said  to  him, 
"Thou  didst  say  it."  The  devil  again  said  to  him,  "Go  to 
heaven,  and  sit  down  upon  thy  throne,  in  order  that  the 
heavens,  as  thou  pratest,  and  the  earth,  may  hearken  unto 
thee.  Thou  didst  have  angels;  why  didst  thou  not  send 
them?  but  being  God,  thou  camest  upon  such  a  journey." 
The  Lord  said,  "Hear  why  I  came  although  I  was  God.  It 
was  on  account  of  thee  and  thy  angels ;  for  having  descended 
from  the  heavens,  ye  did  no  good  work,  but  having  overcome 
mankind,  ye  rejoice,  ye  unclean  demons,  and  lead  men  astray 
by  your  deceit."  The  devil  said,  "Go  to  heaven,  and  sit 
down  upon  thy  throne,  lest  I  discover  thee  to  my  angels ;  for 
my  angels  are  terrible,  and  if  I  should  show  thee  to  them,  I 
could  smite  thee  like  one  of  mankind."  And  the  Lord  said, 
"I  came  on  account  of  thee,  and  of  thy  angels,  of  thy  asso- 
ciates, of  thy  works,  and  of  thy  desires."-  The  devil  said, 
"Who  are  my  associates,  and  what  are  my  works  and  de- 
sires?" Jesus  said,  "Murderers,  adulterers,  thieves,  liars, 
darkness,  fire,  hail,  tumults,  depths,  false  witnessing, 
disobedience,  drunkenness,  harp-dances,  remembering  of 
grudges,  cursing  of  brethren,  daggers  for  children,  the 
separation   of   hermaphrodites,^   heresy   and    faction,    envy 

So  great  an  anachronism  may  be  inspiration  in  the  accounts  of 
the  fault  of  a  copyist.  But  (34)  Christ's  Temptation,  His  Trans- 
has  drawn  something  from  the  figuration,  and  an  apocalyptic 
Revelation    of     Paul,     and    the  purpose. 

name  may   have   come   in   from  "Cf.     I    John     iii.8,    i©.     (34) 

that  source  and  been  preserved  speaks  of  the  associates  of  the 

despite  its  inappropriateness.    Or  devil;     (35),  of  his  works  and 

possibly,     in     the     wildness     of  desires. 

Gnostic    fancy,    this    represents  T  am  not  certain  that  this  is 

Christ's    stay    as    enduring    for  the       correct       translation       of 

years,  until  after  Paul's  conver-  x<opt<r/x,os      dvSpoyvvwv,     which 

sion.  may  perhaps  refer  to  some  vice 

'Cf.  Mat.  iv.2,  3.     This  narra-  of    effeminacy.      If    the    above 

tive  seems  to  have  a  three-fold  gives  the  meaning,  it  would  seem 


288  CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT 

towards  brethren  and  neighbours,  and  the  things  not  pleasing 
to  God."^ 
(34)      The  devil  said,  "Because  such  are  my  works,  then  I  am 

/"  -3  r  "\ 

greater  than  thou,  and  I  was  greater  than  thy  angels.  Thou 
art  the  king  in  the  heavens,  I  am  the  king  upon  earth.  Thou 
art  Christ,  and  I  am  Antichrist."  The  Lord  said,  "Thou  art 
the  phantasm-  of  the  world."  The  devil  said,  "And  thou  art 
the  phantasm  which  was  born  of  the  woman."  Jesus  said, 
"It  is  true  that  I  was  born  of  a  woman,  that  I  might  save  the 
man  whom  I  created ;  and  on  this  account,  I  shall  not  abandon 
him  before  he  appear  at  the  third  heaven,^  before  the  face  of 
ray  Father,  and  shall  enjoy  the  good  things  in  the  heavens." 
And  the  devil  said,  "Thou  thyself  didst  form  Adam,  and 
didst  plant  paradise,  and  didst  place  him  in  it ;  but  I  made 
him  not  to  enter  into  paradise  for  one  day."*  And  the  Lord 
said,  "Thou  didst  deceive  Adam,  and  didst  drive  him  out  of 
paradise ;  but  I  will  not  suffer  him  to  be  made  a  mockery  by 
thee." 
(34)  And  the  devil  said,  "If  a  man  shall  sin,  and  give  up  thy 
glory,  and  shall  do  my  will,  what  part  hath  he  with  thee?" 
And  the  Lord  said,  "If  a  man  shall  sin,  and  do  thy  works, 
and  perform  thy  will,  and  shall  give  up  my  glory,  and  shall 

to  refer  to  the  Rabbinic  legend  factorily  to  translate  or  explain, 

that  Adam  was  created  androgy-  ''An    allusion    to    the    Docetic 

nous ;  he  and  Eve  were  formed  teaching  regarding  the  phantas- 

back    to    back,     united    at    the  mal   body   of   Christ,   which  the 

shoulders,  and  were  hewn  asun-  compiler    here    would    cause    to 

der  with  a  hatchet.     It  would  be  react  against  the  devil.     Hippo- 

in    accordance    with    the    Mani-  lytus    held    that    the    Antichrist 

chaean  ideas  of  the  compiler  of  would  be  the  devil  clothed  in  a 

this  work  to  represent  Satan  as  phantasmal  body, 

the  agent  who  efifected  this  sep-  ^Allusion,     doubtless,     to     II 

aration,  since  these  sectarians  in  Cor.  xii.2. 

general  contemned  marriage  and  ^Accounts     differ    as     to     the 

particularly   the  propagation    of  amount    of    time    which    Adam 

offspring.  spent    in    paradise,    but    it    has 

^I   place   in   the   notes   one   of  been    widely   held   that   he   was 

these  works,     XtvKOfiara,    pos-  cast   out   on   the   same   day   on 

sibly  "whited  tablets,"  or  "white  which  he  was  placed  there, 
hair,"  which  I  am  not  able  satis- 


THE  REPENTANCE  OF  SINNERS  289 

live  ninety  years  and  come  to  repentance,  receive  strangers, 
guide  the  blind,  shall  company  with  the  dead  in  prayers  and 
fastings,  and  in  his  prayer  shall  say,  'O  God,  have  mercy  on 
me  a  sinner,'^  his  good  death  cometh,  and  obtaineth  the  par- 
don of  his  wickedness,^  He  shall  be  given  to  the  archangel 
Michael,  leader  of  those  above,  and  shall  become  a  suppliant 
to  me ;  and  I  shall  enlighten  him,  and  lead  him  to  paradise." 
And  again  Jesus  said,  "H  a  man  shall  live  and  do  thy  will, 
and  reject  my  glory,  and  if  he  shall  not  repent  of  the  evil 
which  he  shall  do,  especially  should  he  live  fifty  or  sixty 
years,  and  until  eighty  years  shall  not  come  to  repentance, 
and  when  a  sinner  his  death  cometh,  I  will  deliver  him  to  the 
angel  Emelouch,^  and  he  will  lead  him  away  to  the  outer 
darkness  with  the  archdemons,  and  he  shall  be  punished. 
According  to  his  stumblings,  I  will  reckon ;  I  will  examine 
him  for  my  perfecting,  and  will  not  destroy  him,  because  he 
is  my  creation.^  And  the  angel  will  lead  him  away  to  the 
lake  of  fire,  where  also  thou  art  about  to  proceed  with  thy 
demons,  O  wicked  devil." 

Then  the  devil,  being  angry,  withdrew  from  him,  and  (34) 
called  his  eight  myriads  of  grinning  demons,  saying  unto 
them,  "My  children,  be  strong  and  play  the  man;  for  the 
great  Christ  hath  descended  upon  the  earth,  and  if  we  shall 
kill  him,  the  kingdom  is  ours  forever.^  But  we  ourselves 
must  go  before,  and  I  will  come  behind,  and  we  will  smite 

^Cf.  Luke  xviii.13.  the  Revelation  of  Paul,  whence 

"The   exact    idea   intended   to  the  name  is  borrowed,  it  is  Tem- 

be   conveyed   here   is   somewhat  eluch.    He    is    there   called   the 

confused.     It    is    evidently    the  merciless  angel.     I  do  not  know 

same    as    in    the    Apocalypse    of  of  the   occurrence  of  the  name  _ 

Sedrach,  12,  13,  whence,  or  from  elsewhere.     The     context     here 

some  common  source,  I  suppose  plainly    shows    indebtedness    to 

this  is  taken.     There  the  teach-  the  Revelation  of  Paul, 
ing  is,  that  if  a  man  lives  ninety  *(35)  here  seems  to  incline  to 

or  a  hundred  years  in  sin,  and  the  view  that  even  the  wicked, 

then   repents,   living   righteously  though  punished  in  the  lake  of 

for    three    years,    he    shall    be  fire,  should  not  finally  be  lost. 
saved.  "^A  close  parallel  to  a  passage 

'Thus  in  (35),  but  in  (34)  the  in    the    Gospel    of    Nicodemus. 

name  is  given  Melouch,  and  in  See  chap.  XXVIII. 


290  CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT 

him  like  one  of  mankind.  From  the  time  when  he  formed 
Adam,  I  was  not  wilHng  to  worship  him/  and  from  that 
time  he  and  his  Father  hated  me."  And  when  he  had  said 
these  things,  the  crowd  of  demons  put  itself  in  motion,  and 
the  cloud  of  dust  raised  by  them  extended  twenty  stadia. 
But  the  Lord's  disciples,  seeing  the  mountains  trembling,  the 
fountains  spouting  forth,  and  the  fishes  leaping  out,  were 
exceedingly  terrified,  and  said,  "Lord,  seeing  these  things, 
we  shall  die."  The  Lord  said  to  them,  "Fear  not  the  devil ; 
I  will  smite  him  together  with  his  demons." 
(34)  While  they  were  saying  these  things,  the  crowd  of  demons 
us;  fire^  near,  about  thirteen  stadia  off.  But  Philip  and 
Thomas  said,  "The  God  of  all  Himself  cast  the  devil  from 
heaven."^  While  they  were  saying  these  things,  the  crowd 
of  demons  approached  until  they  were  three  stadia  distant. 
And  Peter,  receiving  cowardice  from  the  devil,  wished  to 
make  Jesus  manifest.^  And  the  Lord  said,  "Be  not  afraid 
until  thou  seest  the  glory  of  God."  He  turned  and  stood  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus.  Then  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  prayed,  and 
changed  to  his  divine  glory.  And  he  commanded  a  cloud  of 
heaven  to  suspend  the  devil  at  his  feet ;  and  he  smoked  him 
with  smoke.*  And  here  the  demons  cried  out,  saying,  "And 
whither  shall  we  flee?  But  come,  let  us  betake  ourselves 
into  the  abyss,  where  we  may  be  saved."  And  the  devil, 
being  suspended,  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "Lord, 
lead  me  down  from  this  distress,  and  destroy  me  not  prema- 
turely." And  the  Lord  said,  "If  I  lead  thee  down,  wilt  thou 
cease  to  make  war  against  the  race  of  men  ?"  And  the  devil 
said,  "My  Lord,  I  can  bring  it  to  pass  that  as  many  as  be- 
lieved upon  my  polluted  and  unclean  kind  shall  believe  upon 
thy  name."^  And  the  Lord  commanded  him  to  be  brought 
down  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  devil,  having  fallen  as  light- 
Tor  this  legend  in  fuller  form,  ^Cf.  Mark  xiv.66-72  and  par- 
and  notes,  see  chap.  XXXII ;  a  allel  passages, 
passage  taken  from  (33).  There  *In  the  Greek  of  (35),  "with 
are  many  parallels  between  that  Kairvov  rca^tov." 
document  and  (34)  and  (35).  ''Cf.  Mat.  iv.9;  Luke  iv.7. 
^Cf.  Rev.  xii.9. 


THE  DEVIL  THREATENS  CHRIST  291 

ning/  stationed  himself  before  the  feet  of  Jesus.  Then 
Jesus  changed  into  his  human  condition,  even  as  on  our  ac- 
count he  was  born.  And  the  devil,  seeing  that  Jesus  was 
become  a  man,  snorted  contemptuously  in  his  mouth,  and 
violently  stood  up  against  him  for  the  purpose  of  laying 
hold  on  Jesus. 

And  the  Lord  said  to  him,  "Again,  devil,  hast  thou  the  (34) 
power  to  attack  me?  O  Satan,  wilt  thou  again  enter  into 
controversy?  I  will  not  spit  upon  thee,  nor  will  I  breathe 
upon  thee.  For  my  spittle  is  healing  and  strength,  and  as 
to  my  breathing,  the  very  Holy  Spirit  proceedeth  from  my 
mouth.-  Yea,  my  powers  are  great,  but  if  I  do  not  make  war 
upon  thee,  I  will  not  be  king  forever." 

And  the  devil  said,  "I  will  go  to  the  high  priests  Annas  (34) 
and  Caiaphas,  to  the  chief  priests,  to  my  Jews;  and  I  will 
prepare  them  to  crucify  thee.  I  am  not  like  the  Most  High, 
but  thou  art  His  Son.  But  I  am  like  myself;  I  am  Anti- 
christ.^ Thou  art  the  heavenly  king,  and  I  the  earthly,  since, 
indeed,  thou  castest  me  away.  And  also  I  caused  John, 
who  baptized  thee,  to  be  put  to  death  by  Herod,  and  his  head 
to  be  triumphed  over  by  a  dancing  woman."  And  the  Lord 
said,  "John  did  not  die,  but  liveth.  But  hear,  wicked  devil. 
Art  thou  able  to  gather  wine  from  thorns,  or  harvest  fruit 
from  thistles?"*  And  the  devil  was  silent,  making  no  an- 
swer. And  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Art  thou  satisfied,  devil? 
O  Satan,  wilt  thou  again  make  disputation?"  And  he  an- 
swered, "My  Lord,  I  have  naught  to  say." 

And  the  Lord  prayed  a  third  time,  and  was  changed  into  (34) 
his  divine  glory.  And  he  commanded  the  devil  to  be  removed  ^^^^ 
from  him  thirteen  stadia.     And  he  sealed  the  earth ;  and  the 
earth  was  rent  a  hundred  cubits,  and  was  cloven  asunder  to 
the  subterranean  regions  of  the  abyss.     And  the  devil  sent 

*Cf.  Luke  X.18.  not    to    be    identified    with    the 

^See  note  regarding  the  heal-  devil  himself,  but  it  seems  that 

ing  power  of  Christ,  in  chap.  X.  the    earlier    tradition    generally 

^The    fathers    of    the    Church  made  this   identification. 

from    Chrysostom    and    Jerome  *Cf.  Mat.  vii.i6;  Luke  vi.44. 

onward  held  that  Antichrist  was 


292 


CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT 


forth  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "Lord,  where  am  I  going."  The 
Lord  said,  "Descend,  and  thou  shalt  know."  The  devil  said, 
"My  Lord,  how  great  is  the  depth?"  Jesus  said,  "Should 
ninety-eight  men  roll  down  it  a  stone  commensurate  with 
their  strength,  the  stone  descending  for  fifty  years  would 
become  like  a  grain  of  mustard  before  it  came  near  the  place 
where  thou  art  going."^ 

(34)  And  the  devil  said,  "Lord,  and  from  then  what?"     The 

(35)  Lord  said,  "There  thou  shalt  remain  until  the  end  of  time, 
being  beaten  by  twenty-four  angels,  night  and  day.  But  at 
the  end  of  that  age,  thou  shalt  go  out  upon  the  earth,  and 
come  to  a  country  called  Gouze,^  a  country  of  the  Egyptians, 
to  the  city  of  Daphne,^  offeted  for  sale  as  a  little  fish.*  A 
virgin  maid  will  conceive  thee,  by  name  Eudocia ;  ^  because 
thou  oughtest  to  be  born  from  injustice.  Being  born  of  her 
three  months,  thou  shalt  establish  thy  throne  upon  the  earth, 
and  shalt  reign  three  years ;  and  many  shall  believe  upon 
thee." 


^In  the  Revelation  of  John, 
whence  this  is  taken,  it  reads : 
"As  big  a  stone  as  a  man  of 
thirty  years  old  can  roll,  and 
let  go  down  into  the  depth,  even 
falling  down  for  twenty  years 
will  not  arrive  at  the  bottom  of 
Hades."  The  above  is  the  ver- 
sion of  (35),  which  improves 
somewhat  upon  this  model.  (34) 
has  a  vague  reference  to  a  child 
of  seventeen  years  rolling  a 
stone  which  falls  for  twenty 
ages. 

"Ethiopia. 

'I  know  of  no  city  of  this 
name  or  any  such  tradition. 
Probably  the  allusion  is  to  the 
famous  heathen  grove  of  Daphne 
near  Antioch,  widely  known  to 
the  Christian  world  for  its  licen- 
tious practices.  The  most  prev- 
alent  tradition   was    that    Anti- 


christ should  be  born  in  Baby- 
lon, in  Chorazin,  or  from  the 
tribe  of  Dan.  The  later  Jew- 
ish idea  was  that  he  should  be 
born  of  a  marble  statue  in  a 
Christian  church  at  Rome. 

*I  am  utterly  unable  to  explain 
this,  but  the  constant  recurrence 
of  the  fish  as  a  sj-mbol  is  notice- 
able. 

''This  may  possibly  be  sug- 
gested by  Eudocia,  wife  of  the 
Emperor  Theodosius  II.,  who 
played  a  leading  part  in  the  re- 
ligious controversies  of  her  age, 
and  may,  on  the  part  of  the 
heretics  who  compiled  this  doc- 
ument, have  been  especially  re- 
membered as  one  full  of  injus- 
tice. She  died  about  460.  That 
Antichrist  should  by  deception 
be  born  of  a  virgin  was  an  idea 
widely  held. 


THE  REIGN  OF  ANTICHRIST  293 

And  the  devil  said,  "Until  then,  have  I  power  to  reign?"  (34) 
Jesus  said,  "O  Satan,  rejoice  not  because  thou  hast  power  ^^^^ 
to  reign !  But  I  can  shift  the  years  as  a  book,  and  I  can 
make  the  three  years  three  months  or  three  weeks,  the 
weeks  days,  the  days  hours,  the  hours  moments."^  The  devil 
said,  "Lord,  and  from  then  what?"  And  Jesus  said,  "In  its 
own  season  there  shall  be  corn  and  much  wine,  and  for  two 
seasons  there  shall  not  be  found  in  the  four  extremities  of  the 
earth  either  wine  or  oil,  except  the  widow's  measure-  of 
corn  and  half  a  pound  of  oil.^  I  myself  will  come  with  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  angels,  and  with  Enoch  and 
Elijah  and  John,  and  with  my  mother  the  virgin,  and  with 
the  holy  John*  who  baptized  me,  whom  thou  didst  say,  T 
made  as  the  sport  of  a  feast  to  be  beheaded,  and  his  head  to 
be  presented  on  a  waiter  before  Herod.'  I  send  him  for  thy 
upbraiding  and  destruction.  These  will  refute  thee  of  thy 
name  appearing  any  longer  either  in  heaven  or  on  earth, 
and  they  purpose  to  kill  thee,  base  dog,  devil.  Because 
glory  is  becoming  to  our  holy  God."° 

At  another  time,  Jesus  taketh  up  John,  and  James,  and  (20) 
Peter  into  the  mountain  where  his  custom  was  to  pray ;  and 

^This  passage  closely  follows  a  tended.    There  is  no  reference  in 

similar  one  in  the  Revelation  of  that    document,    as     there     evi- 

John.     An     idea,     similar,     but  dently  is  here,  to  the  widow  wo- 

lengthening  the  period,  occurs  in  man  of  I  Kings  xvii.9  seq. 

the     Mohammedan     legend     of  ^The   tradition    of   this   whole 

Dejjal,   or    Antichrist.     He   will  passage,   that   at   the  coming  of 

reign  forty  days,  but  the  first  of  Antichrist  there  should  first  be 

these  shall  be  a  year  long,  the  unusual  harvests  and  then  fam- 

second    a    month,    the    third    a  ine,  is  wide-spread.  The  corn  and 

week,  and  the  rest  of  the  natural  much  wine  have  the  appearance 

length.     He  will  be  a  king  fol-  of  a   reference   to   the  tradition 

lowed  by  40,000  Jews  and  many  of  Papias  in  chap.  XIX.    This  is 

monsters.    He  will  lay  waste  all  still  more  apparent  in  the  Rev- 

the  earth,  save  Mecca  and  Me-  elation  of  John, 

dina,  etc.  *Here  both  the  Johns  seem  to 

^(35)    here    has    fjioiviKr],    but  be   among   the   witnesses, 

the     correspondence     with     the  ''Here  follow,  elaborate  doxol- 

Revelation   of  John   shows  that  ogies. 
the  choenix,  or  measure,  is  in- 
23 


294  CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT 

they  beheld  him  m  such  a  light  as  it  is  not  possible  for  a  man 
that  useth  corruptible  speech  to  teU  what  it  was  like. 
„a,      Again  in  like  manner  he  leadeth  these  three  up  mto  the 
'""'  mountain,  saying.  "Come  ye  with  me."    And  they  agam 
went;  and  they  beheld  him  at  a  distance,  praymg.    Now 
There  ore,  John,  because  Jesus  loved  him,  drew  mgh  unto 
Lin  softly  as  though  he  would  not  see.  and  stood  lookmg 
upon  his  hinder  parts.^     And  he  beheld  Inm  that  he  was  not 
Tany  wise  clad  with  garmems,  but  was  seen  of  them  naked 
thereof,   and  not   in  any  wise  as   a  man;  and  h  s  feet 
whiter  than  any  snow,  so  that  the  ground  there  was  hghted 
1  by  his  feet    and  his  head  reaching  unto  the  heaven,  so 
Zt  John  was  afraid  and  cried  out.  and  he  turned  and  ap- 
peared as  a  man  of  small  stature,'  and  took  hold  upon  h,s 
Tard  and  pulled  it,  and  said  unto  him,  •'John   b^  not  un 
believing,  but  believing,*  and  not  a  busybody       And  John 
said  unto  him,  "But  what  have  I  done.  Lord?      And  John 
ulrd  so  gr;at  pain  in  that  place  where  he  took  ho  <1  upon 
his  beard,  for  thirty  days,  that  he  said  unto  h>m.    Lord  if  thy 
twitch  when  thou  last  in  sport  hath  ^ven  me  so  great  pa, 
what  were  it  if  thou  hadst  given  me  a  buffet  ?      And  he  said 
Into  Wm,  "Let  it  be  thine  from  henceforth  not  to  tempt  h.m 

,  /'^But  C^'n?j"-:ere  wroth  because  John  spake 
''°'  wi*  thriord,  and  beckoned  unto  him  that  he  should  come 
unto  them,  and  leave  the  Lord  alone.  And  he  «  "'.-"^  *  y 
both  said  unto  him,  "He  that  was  speakmg  wth  the  I^rd 
when  he  was  upon  the  mount,  who  was  he?  for  we  heard 
when  ne  was    v  __  1^^  considered  his 

both  of  them  speaking.      Ana  jom.,  wi  ,„j  hi.! 

Treat  grace  and  his  unity  which  hath  many  faces,  and  his 
Tdom  which  without  ceasing  l«>ked  upon  them,  said, 
"That  ve  shall  learn  if  ye  inquire  of  him. 

Now  Jesus  said  these  and  many  other  thmgs  to  his  dis- 
ciples, ''Nothing  is  impossible  to  you  m  the  removal  of  the 

^Cf.Mat.xvil.i,a;Markix.;      --f  j^i  ^^,^. 
Luke  ix.28,  29.  .       i  J3 

^Cf.  Ex.  xxxni.23. 
"A  characteristic  Docetic  rep- 


Co) 


THEY  SEEK  TO  MAKE  CHRIST  KING      295 

mountains.^  Now,  therefore,  have  faith  in  the  love  of  my 
Father;  for  faith  is  the  end  of  all  things."  And  all  these 
things  our  Saviour  spake  to  his  apostles,  comforting  them 
on  the  mount ;  knowing  that  which  was  spread  abroad  con- 
cerning him  in  Judaea,  by  the  authorities  that  came  after 
him,  to  take  him  by  force,  that  they  might  make  him  a  king.^ 
And  the  messengers  of  Theophilus=^  came  unto  Jesus,  and 
they  told  him,  saying,  "They  seek  after  thee,  wishing  to  make 
thee  king."  The  apostles  said  to  Jesus,  "Our  Lord,  we  are 
glad  that  they  will  make  thee  king."  Jesus  said  to  them, 
"Did  I  not  say  unto  you  again,  'My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world?'*  Do  not  have  the  joy  of  the  kingdom  of  this  world 
in  your  heart,  O  my  brethren  and  apostles ;  for  it  is  temporal. 
Did  I  covenant'  with  you,  O  my  holy  members  and  my  breth- 
ren, to  eat  with  you  at  the  table  of  the  kingdom  of  this 
world  ?  But  my  kingdom  continueth  forever  in  heaven  and 
on  earth."^ 

Now  as  Jesus  said  these  and  many  other  things  to  his  (6) 
disciples,  he  was  hidden  on  the  mount,  because  they  sought 
after  him  to  make  him  king.''  And  again,  our  Lord  Jesus, 
knowing  all  things  that  were  coming  upon  him,«  said  to  his 
disciples,  "My  brethren,  behold,  the  devil  hath  mingled  for 
himself  a  cup  of  guile,  that  I  should  be  crucified.  Now, 
therefore,  let  all  my  mysteries  sink  into  your  ears.''  I  have 
not  left  you  lacking  any  of  all  the  mysteries  of  my  kingdom.^" 
I  have  given  unto  you  all  authority  in  heaven  and  on  earth." 
I  have  set  the  power  of  serpents  and  scorpions  under  your 


*Cf.  Mat.  xvii.20.    I  have  sup-  Golden  Legend.     I  suspect  that 

plied  the  clause  introductory  to  Tiberius  is  meant, 
this  sentence.  'See  John  xviii.36. 

^Cf.  John  vi.is.  'Cf.  Luke  xxii.29,  30. 

^It  is  impossible  to  tell  who  is         "Ci.  Mat.  vi.io. 
referred  to  here.    The  name  oc-  ^Cf.  John  vi.15. 

curs   in  Luke   i.3 ;   Acts   i.i ;   in         'Cf.  John  xviii.4. 
apocryphal  literature,  only  in  the  ^Ci.  Luke  ix.44. 

account  of  the  chair  of  Peter  at         "Cf.  Mat.  xiii.ii. 
Antioch,  for  which  see,  e.  g.  the         "Cf.  Mat.  xxviii.18. 


296  CHRIST  ON  THE  HOLY  MOUNT 

authority.^  Now,  therefore,  arise,  let  us  go  hence,  for  Herod 
seeketh  me  to  kill  me."^ 

(6)  And  our  Lord  Jesus  came  down  from  the  mount  with  his 
disciples.  And,  behold,  the  devil  met  them ;  and  he  took  the 
form  of  a  fisherman,  many  demons  following  him,  carrying 
•  many  nets  and  drag-nets  and  hooks,  and  casting  nets  and 
hooks  on  the  mount.  Now  the  apostles,  when  they  saw 
them  casting  nets  hither  and  thither,  and  hooks,  wondered 
exceedingly.  And  they  said  to  Jesus,  "O  Lord,  what 
manner  of  one  is  this,  doing  these  things  in  this  desert?" 
Jesus  said  to  them,  "Peter,  this  is  he  of  whom  I  spake  to  thee, 
saying,  'Behold,  Satan  asked  for  you,  that  he  might  sift  you 
as  wheat;  but  I  made  supplication  for  thee,  that  thy  faith 
fail  not."3 

(6)  John  said  to  him,  "What  do  these  find  in  this  desert?" 
Jesus  said  to  him,  "My  beloved  John,  he  who  seeketh  him, 
behold,  he  hath  caught  him  already.  This  is  the  fisherman 
that  catcheth  every  bad  fish.^  This  is  the  snarer  of  every 
foul  beast  and  of  every  one  that  is  bad." 

(6)  Philip  said  to  him,  "My  Lord,  who  shall  be  taken  by  the 
hook  of  this  one  or  by  his  nets  ?"  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Many 
shall  be  taken  by  the  hook  of  this  one  and  by  his  nets." 
Andrew  said  to  him,  "My  Lord,  what  is  the  use  of  this  one 
making  men  to  transgress?"  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Did  I  not 
come  to  take  those  who  are  mine  for  my  kingdom?  This 
one  also  seeketh  those  who  are  his  for  punishment.  I 
suffered  this  great  humiliation,  and  I  came  down  to  the 
world,  that  I  might  pluck  out  this  talon  of  death,^  even  this 
one." 

(6)  John  said  to  him,  "My  Lord,  command  me  to  go  unto 
him,  that  I  may  know  what  he  hath  done."     Jesus  said  to 

'Cf.  Luke  X.19.  Strassburg,  1900,  and  in  the  text 

"Cf.  Luke  xiii.31.  of  still  another  fragment  which 

^Cf.  Luke  xxii.31,  32.  he  prints  along  with  that.     See 

*Ci.  II  Tim.  ii.26.  p.  32  of  same.     In  the  latter,  it 

"Certainly       a       characteristic  runs,    "the    talon    of    Charon," 

Gnostic     expression.     I     find    it  pointing  to  a  mingling  of  clas- 

also   in   the    Neues    Evangelien-  sical     mythological     ideas     with 

fragment    von     Adolf     Jacoby,  Christian  ones. 


THE  DEVIL  AS  A  FISHERMAN  297 

him,  "Go,  my  beloved  John,  for  I  have  sanctified  thee  from 
the  time  that  thou  didst  receive  suck  from  thy  mother." 
And  the  holy  John  went  to  the  devil.  He  said  to  him,  "What 
dost  thou  with  these  nets?  or  what  dost  thou  catch  here?" 
The  devil  said  to  him,  "I  have  heard  concerning  thee  and 
thy  brethren,  that  ye  are  fishermen  that  catch  fish.  I  have 
come  hither  to  see  your  mastery  to-day.  Behold,  I  and  my 
servants  and  my  nets  are  here.  Do  thou  also  call  thy  breth- 
ren ;  and  let  them  come  unto  thee  hither  with  their  nets,  that 
we  may  cast  them  here.  He  who  catcheth  fish  here,  he  is  the 
master.  It  is  not  a  wonder  to  catch  fish  in  the  waters ;  the 
wonder  is  in  this  desert,  to  catch  fish  therein."  John  said 
to  him,  "I  have  already  heard  of  thy  mastery,  before  I  came 
unto  thee  hither.  But  cast  thy  nets,  that  we  may  see  what 
thou  wilt  catch."  Straightway  he  cast  them.  He  caught 
every  kind  of  foul  fish  which  was  in  the  waters — some  taken 
by  their  eyes,  some  caught  by  their  entrails,  others  taken  by 
their  lips.  Jesus  was  afar  off  with  his  apostles,  beholding 
them.  He  said  to  them,  "See  how  Satan  catcheth  the  sin- 
ners by  their  members."*' 

*The  fragment  ends  with  the      John,  Say  to  him,  Cast — ." 
broken  sentence,  "J^sus  said  to 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  CONSPIRACY  AGAINST  CHRIST. 

Inquiries  concerning  Christ— They  wish  to  make  Him 
King— Herod  enraged— Threatens— Jews  conspire 
against  Christ— Gestas—Dismas  steals  the  Law- 
Judas  watches  Christ— The  Disciples  hidden- 
Christ  arrested — Imprisoned — The  Council — The 
Various  Opinions  given — Christ  craftily  released — 
Judas  sells  Him  for  Thirty  Pieces  of  Gold— Their 
History — Judas  prepares  to  seize  Christ. 

Main  Sources:  (6)— Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  HI,  IV. 

(36)_Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  1-3. 
(37)_Gospel   of   Nicodemus,   Part   I,    First   Greek 

Form,  I. 
(38) —Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  I. 
(3g)_Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  i. 
(41) — Council  concerning  Jesus. 
(42)— Bohairic  Accounts  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of 

Mary,  I,  V. 

(6)  Now  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days  when  Jesus  had 
wrought  many  and  extraordinary  miracles  in  Judaea,  and 
had  raised  Lazarus,  that  there  was  a  chief  of  GaHlee^  with 
Herod,  for  the  care  of  the  countries  of  PhiHp,  over  which  he 
was  appointed;  who  was  accused  before  the  king^  that  he 
was  laying  them  waste  for  the  sake  of  his  wife,  because 
Herod  took  her  from  him.'     And  Carius,*  the  chief  of  the 

^Cf.  Mark  vi.21 ;  Luke  iii.i.  Trobably    the     Cyrenius,     or 

''Meaning  the  Roman  emperor.      Quirinius,  of  Luke  ii.2  is  here  m- 
'Cf.  Mark  vi.17,  also  notes  on      tended, 
this  subject  in  chap.  XVI. 

(298) 


EFFORTS  TO  MAKE  CHRIST  KING         299 

king,  when  he  heard  the  mighty  works  which  Jesus  was 
doing,  went  unto  him  that  he  might  see  him.  Then  Carius 
brought  the  report  of  Jesus,  and  sent  it  to  Herod,  saying, 
"This  man  is  worthy  to  be  made  king^  over  all  Judaea  and 
the  countries  of  Philip." 

And  the  authorities  of  Tiberius  prevailed  the  second  time  (6) 
concerning  Jesus,  and  indeed  Pilate  also,  that  they  might 
commend  Jesus,  to  make  him  king.  And  Pilate  praised 
them  exceedingly,  saying,  "Truly,  according  to  the  signs  and 
wonders  which  that  man  doeth,  he  is  worthy.  We  will  make 
him  king  over  all  the  countries  of  Judaea.  And  as  for  those 
things  that  I  hear  concerning  that  man,  he  is  a  good  man,^ 
and  he  is  fit  to  be  made  king." 

When  Herod  heard  these  things  concerning  Jesus,  that  (6) 
he  was  worthy  to  be  made  king,  he  was  greatly  distressed,^ 
and  brought  great  accusations  against  Jesus.  And  as  Pilate 
was  saying  these  things  before  the  authorities  of  Tiberius 
the  king,  Herod  could  not  refrain  from  setting  Pilate  at 
nought,  saying,  "Thou  art  a  Galilaean,  foreign,  Egyptian 
Pontus.*  Thou  dost  not  know  any  law  at  all ;  and  indeed 
thou  hast  not  long  been  governor  of  this  city,  that  thou 
shouldest  know  the  works  of  that  man."  Herod  said  to 
him,  "Every  one  that  opposeth  the  command  of  the  king 
angereth  the  king  f  for  it  is  no  care  to  me  that  Jesus  should 

'This   legend   is   doubtless   in-  Pontius.     He  was  the  son  of  a 

spired  by  the  attempt  to  explain  king,  Tyrus,  and  a  maid,  Pilam, 

the    inscription    on    the    cross,  whose   father  was  called  Atus; 

"The  King  of  the  Jews."  from  the  names  of  the  last  two, 

^Cf.  John  vii.i2.  the    name    Pilatus    was    formed. 

^Cf.  Mat.  ii.3.  Pilate  slew  the  king's  legitimate 

*This    seems     intended    as    a  son,  and  was  for  this  delivered 

play  on  Pilate's  name,  Pontius,  as  a  hostage  to  the  Romans.   At 

I    do   not    understand   the   allu-  Rome,  he  slew  a  son  of  the  king 

sions  in  this  string  of  epithets,  of   France.     In   consequence   of. 

In  the  Golden  Legend,  it  is  said  this,    he    was    sent    to    Pontus'. 

that  Pilate  was  in  his  youth  sent  Herod,     hearing    of    his     great 

by  the  Romans  to  the  island  of  wickedness,  eagerly  sent  for  him 

Pontus,    that    the    cruel    people  to  come  to  him. 
who  lived  there  might  kill  him.  ''Cf.  John  xix.l2. 

From  this  he  received  the  name 


300      THE  CONSPIRACY  AGAINST  CHRIST 

reign  over  Judaea."  And  straightway  there  was  enmity 
between  Herod  and  Pilate/  because  of  Jesus,  from  that  day. 
This  saying  was  spread  abroad  in  all  Judaea,  "Jesus  the  king- 
of  the  Jews."2  ^ 

(6)      Now  when  Herod  heard  these  things,  he  still  continued 
ni  his  madness  against  Jesus,  saying,  "My  father  died  at  the 
occasion  of  this  man  in  his  youth;  but  I  suffer  not  myself  to 
die,  whilst  this  man  liveth."    And  he  gave  much  money  to 
the  authorities ;  and  he  brought  them  on  their  way  to  the 
king.    And  he  spread  abroad  great  guile  in  all  Judaea.    And 
so  he  gathered  together  all  the  chiefs  of  the  Jews,  and  spake 
to  them  that  which  Carius  thought  concerning  Jesus,  that 
he  should  be  made  king.     And  straightway  Herod  com- 
manded them,  saying,  "He  who  is  found  consenting  unto 
this  matter  shall  come  under  the  destruction  of  the  sword, 
and  they  that  are  in  his  house  shall  be  seized." 
(6)      Now  Annas  and  Caiaphas  and  the  chiefs  of  the  Jews  were 
(i)  fathered  together  unto  Carius,  the  chief  of  Tiberius  the 
(39)  '-^ing;  and  they  agreed  upon  lying  words  and  false  testi- 
monies, which  did  not  agree  together,  concerning  Jesus,« 
from^his  birth  unto  his  death ;  some  saying,  "Pie  is  a  magi- 
cian;" others,  "He  was  born  of  fornication;"  some,  "He 
breaketh  the  Sabbath;"  others,  "He  hath  abolished  the  syn- 
agogue of  the  Jews."*     And  straightway  they  sent  for  Jo- 
seph^  and  Nicodemus,  and  brought  them;    who  also  were 

'CI  Luke  xxiii.i2.    The  Gold-  "And  Pilate  wrote  the  report  of 

en  Legend  says  that  Pilate  went  Jesus,    and    fastened    it    to    the 

to  Rome  and  with  great  sums  of  cross,  'This  is  Jesus  the  King  of 

money    purchased    of    the    Em-  the  Jews.'" 

peror   that    which    Herod    held,  'CI  Mark  xiv.s6,  59 

which  was  the  cause  of  the  en-  ^The    charges    here    preferred 

mity.    Another  reason  which  it  against  Christ  according  to   (6) 

says    was    assigned    for    this    in  agree    with    those   made    in    the 

Ihe    Scholastica    Historia    was,  Gospel  of  Nicodemus.     The  one 

that  Pilate  had  put  to   death  a  given    in    the    account    of    (36) 

Gahlaean  pretender,  who  declared  which    follows,    is,    so    far   as    I 

himself  to  be  God.     Herod  re-  know,  peculiar  to  that  late  me- 

sented   this   because   he   reigned  diaeval  document 

'"  ^^^'^^e-  'Of  Arimathaea. 

'The   Ms.  of   (6)    here  adds: 


DISMAS  AND  GESTAS  301 

chiefs  of  the  Jews ;  and  they  consented  not  with  them  unto 
their  lying  accusations,  but  spake  blessed  words  concerning 
Jesus.  And  Jesus  being  hated  by  the  Hebrews  on  account 
of  the  miracles  he  did,  there  came  of  the  Jews  to  the  chief 
priests  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  Judas,  Levi,  Nephthalim,  Alex- 
ander, Syrus,  Semes,  Dathaes,  Gamaliel,  Jairus,i  and  many 
others,  speaking  against  Christ.  And  the  chief  priests  sent 
them  away  to  say  these  things  to  Pilate  also. 

Now  seven  days  before  Christ  suffered,  two  condemned  (36) 
robbers  were  sent  from  Jericho  to  the  procurator  Pilate,  and 
their  case  was  as  followeth :  The  first,  his  name  Gestas,  put 
travellers  to  death,  murdering  them  with  the  sword,  and 
others  he  exposed  naked.  And  he  hung  up  women  by  the 
heels,  head  down,  and  cut  off  their  breasts,  and  drank  the 
blood  of  infants'  limbs,  never  having  known  God,  not  obey- 
ing the  laws,  being  violent  from  the  beginning,  and  doing 
such  deeds.2 

The  case  of  the  other  was  as  followeth :  He  was  called  (^6) 
Dismas,  and  was  by  birth  a  Galilaean,  and  kept  an  inn.  He 
made  attacks  upon  the  rich,  but  was  good  to  the  poor— a 
thief  like  Tobit ;  for  he  buried  the  bodies  of  the  poor.^'  And 
he  set  his  hands  to  robbing  the  multitude  of  the  Jews,  and 
stole  the  law*  itself  in  Jerusalem,  and  stripped  naked  the 
daughter  of  Caiaphas,  who  was  priestess  of  the  sanctuary, 
and  took  away  from  its  place  the  mysterious  deposit  itself 
placed  there  by  Solomon.=^     Such  were  his  doings. 

'These  names  differ  greatly  in  Jews,  and  by  Christians  is  reck- 

the  three  versions  of  the  Gospel  oned  one  of  the  seven  corporal 

of    Nicodemus,   and    in   the   va-  works  of  mercy, 

rious  Mss.  of  same.  "Another  reading,  and  perhaps 

-For  the   early  history  of  the  a  more  probable  one  is,   "plun- 

robbers,    etc.,    see    chap.    VIII.  dered   the   sanctuary."    The   in- 

The    story    of   their    activity    in  spiration  of  this  legend  seems  to 

Egypt    is    not    absolutely    incon-  be    the    implied    charge    of    the 

sistent  with  what   is   told  here,  Jews    that    Christ    intended    to 

although    highly    improbable    in  take  away  or  destroy  the  law 

connection  with  it.  -^A  gross  error,  as  well  as  an- 

Tobit    1.17,     18.     This    pious  achronism. 
deed  was  highly  regarded  by  the 


302      THE  CONSPIRACY  AGAINST  CHRIST 

(36)  And  to  Caiaphas  and  the  multitude  of  the  Jews  it  was  not 
a  passover ;  but  it  was  a  great  mourning  to  them,  on  account 
of  the  plundering  of  the  sanctuary  by  the  robber.  And  they 
summoned  Judas  Iscariot,  and  spake  to  him,  for  he  was  son 
of  the  brother  of  Caiaphas  the  priest.^  He  was  not  a  disciple 
before  the  face  of  Jesus,  but  all  the  multitude  of  the  Jews 
craftily  supported  him,  that  he  might  follow  Jesus,  not  that 
he  might  be  obedient  to  the  miracles  done  by  him,  nor  that 
he  might  confess  him ;  but  that  he  might  betray  him  to  them, 
wishing  to  catch  up  some  lying  word  of  him,  giving  him 
gifts  for  such  brave,  honest  conduct  to  the  amount  of  a  half 
shekel  of  gold  each  day.^  And  he  did  this  for  two  years 
with  Jesus,  as  saith  one  of  his  disciples  called  John.^ 

(42)  And  through  this  great  matter  the  disciples  remained 
hidden,  and  were  not  able  to  go  out  for  a  great  while  for  fear 
of  the  Jews,  lest  they  should  put  them  to  death;  until  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  came  unto  them,  and  showed  them  the  way 
wherein  they  should  go.*    And  Mary  the  mother  of  the  Lord 


Tor  account  of  the  early  life 
of  Judas,  etc.,  see  chap.  X.  Ms. 
B.  of  (36)  has,  "And  they  say 
that  he  was  of  the  family  of  the 
sister,"  etc.  Somewhat  similar 
is  the  story  told  in  the  blas- 
phemous Jewish  book,  Toledoth 
Jeschu.  According  to  this,  Judas 
was  a  wise  man  amongst  the 
Jews,  apparently  belonging  to 
the  ruling  classes.  When  he 
saw  the  wonders  that  Jesus  did 
•by  means  of  the  shem  hamm- 
phorash,  or  incommunicable 
name  of  God,  he  told  the  other 
Jews  that  if  they  would  take  the 
sin  upon  them,  he  would  learn 
■  this  name,  which  it  was  so  dan- 
gerous to  pronounce.  He  did 
so,  and  performed  wonders 
equal  to  those  of  Jesus.  The 
latter  flew  away  into  the  air,  and 
Judas  was  able  to  follow  Him. 


(There  is  a  strong  suggestion 
here  of  the  Simon  Magus  leg- 
end.) Judas  finally  succeeded 
in  finding  Christ  asleep,  and  cut- 
ting open  the  place  in  His  flesh 
where  He  had  concealed  a  bit  of 
parchment  with  the  incommuni- 
cable name  written  on  it,  Christ 
was  deprived  of  His  power. 
After  this,  He  was  readily  deliv- 
ered by  Judas  to  the  council. 

^All  this  is  evidently  in- 
fluenced by  the  story  of  Tole- 
doth Jeschu. 

^Cf.  John  vi.71. 

*The  context  in  (42)  does  not 
clearly  show  the  connection  of 
this  paragraph,  which  I  have  in- 
troduced here.  Possibly  the  ref- 
erence is  to  the  time  just  after 
the  Crucifixion,  and  such  verses 
as,  John  xix.38  and  xx.19  are  in 
the  writer's  mind.    But,  as  the 


JUDAS  ACCUSES  CHRIST  303 

Jesus  Christ  was  with  them  in  the  house,  and  the  women 
also  that  followed  her  from  Jerusalem,  (for  they  were  going 
with  them  until  the  Lord  Jesus  was  crucified)  ;  even  Salome 
and  Joanna^  and  all  the  rest  of  the  virgins  who  went  with 
her.  And  their  father  Peter^  sanctified  an  altar  in  the  house 
in  which  they  were,  even  as  the  Lord  taught  them  before  he 
suffered. 

And  on  the  third  day  before  Jesus  was  laid  hold  of,  Judas  (36) 
saith  to  the  Jews,  "Come,  let  us  hold  a  council ;  for  perhaps 
it  was  not  the  robber  that  stole  the  law,  but  Jesus  himself, 
and  I  accuse  him."  And  when  these  words  had  been  spoken, 
Nicodemus,  who  kept  the  keys  of  the  sanctuary,  came  in  and 
said  to  all,  "Do  not  do  such  a  deed."  For  Nicodemus  was 
true,  more  than  all  the  multitude  of  the  Jews.  And  the 
daughter  of  Caiaphas,  Sarah  by  name,^  cried  out,  and  said, 
"He  himself  said  before  all,  against  this  holy  place,  'I  am 
able  to  destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  to  raise  it.'  "* 
The  Jews  say  to  her,  "Thou  hast  credit  with  all  of  us."  For 
they  regarded  her  as  a  prophetess.^  And,  assuredly,  after 
the  council  had  been  held,  Jesus  was  laid  hold  of. 

And  on  the  following  day,  the  fourth  day  of  the  week,  they  (36) 
brought  him  at  the  ninth  hour  into  the  hall  of  Caiaphas. 
And  he  remained  in  keeping  in  the  house  of  the  high  priest 
during  that  day ;  and  the  rulers  of  the  people  were  troubled, 
and  counselled  together  concerning  him.''  And  Annas  and 
Caiaphas  say  to  him,  "Tell  us,  why  hast  thou  stolen  our  law, 
and  renounced  the  ordinances  of  Moses  and  the  prophets?" 

paragraph  ends  with  the  words  ^This    office    had    undoubtedly 

"Again  after  He  rose  from  the  been  exercised  by  many  daugh- 

dead,  He  taught  them  again,"  I  ters  of  Israel,  but  the  idea  here 

have  chosen  to  refer  the  incident  is  to  make  a  prophetess  of  the 

to  some  period  of  alarm  before  daughter  of  one  who  is  recog- 

the  Crucifixion.  nized  in  John  xi.51  as  tempora- 

*Cf.  Luke  xxiv.io.  rily  a  prophet. 

^This  insistence  on  the  prerog-  °This  sentence  is  taken  from 
ative  of  Peter  indicates  a  late  the  Didascalia,  V,  13.  The  state- 
date,  ment  that  Christ  remained  a  day 

°I  know  of  no  other  legend  in  a     prisoner     in     the     house     of 

regard  to  such  an  individual.  Caiaphas  i§  a  remarkable  one. 

*See  John  ii.ig. 


304      THE  CONSPIRACY  AGAINST  CHRIST 

And  Jesus  answered  nothing.  And  again  a  second  time,  the 
multitude  being  present,  they  say  to  him,  "The  sanctuary 
which  Solomon  built  in  forty  and  six  years,^  why  dost  thou 
wish  to  destroy  in  one  moment  ?"  And  to  these  things  Jesus 
answered  nothing.  For  the  sanctuary  of  the  synagogue  had 
l)een  plundered  by  the  robber. 
(41)  And  the  different  ones  present  at  the  counciP  spake  as 
followeth : 

Simon  the  Leper  :^  By  what  right  do  ye  condemn  a  man 
for  insurrection? 

Rabam :  I  know  not  why  the  laws  were  made,  if  they  are 
not  kept. 

Achias :  We  must  first  have  well-founded  information 
and  knowledge,  and  the  ground  for  an  accusation,  before  we 
condemn  him  to  death. 

Subath :  We  cannot,  according  to  divine  and  human  law, 
condemn  anyone  unless  he  hath  deserved  it.  Therefore, 
what  hath  this  man  done  ?* 

Rosnophin :  Why  are  the  laws  enacted,  if  we  are  not 
willing  to  keep  them? 

Phutiphares :  A  deceiver,^  through  whom  a  tumult  is 
made  among  the  common  folk,  is  not  good  for  the  country. 

Ryphar:  The  laws  punish  none  but  the  guilty,  there- 
fore, if  he  is  a  transgressor,  let  him  first  acknowledge  his  own 
deed;  but  wish  ye  not  hastily  to  condemn  him. 

Joseph  of  Arimathaea :  O  how  shameful  and  ridiculous  it 
is,  that  there  cannot  be  found  one  in  a  city  to  be  a  defender 
of  the  innocent  man ! 

Joram :  Why  do  we  let  the  righteous  man  die  on  account 
of  his  righteousness  ?'' 

Ehiberis :  Although  he  were  righteous,  yet  should  he  be 
put  to  death ;  because  the  common  folk,  through  his  teach- 
ings, have  become  rebellious. 

^Cf.  John  ii.20.  ^See  Mat.  xxvi.6. 

*It  is  hopeless  to  endeavour  to  *Cf.  Luke  xxiii.4. 

settle    just    which    council    this  "Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.63. 

was;  we  may  suppose  it  to  be  'Cf.  Ezek.  xviii.24. 
the  one  referred  to  in  John  xi47. 


THE  COUNCIL  CONCERNING  CHRIST      305 

Nicodemus :  Doth  our  law,  then,  judge  a  man  before  he 
hath  been  heard  and  it  is  known  what  he  hath  done  ? 

Diarabias :  Because  he  is  accused  of  such  things  before  a 
council,  so  is  he  worthy  of  death. 

Sereas :  A  rebellious  man  is  harmful  to  the  country,  there- 
fore must  he  be  taken  away  from  the  people. 

Rabinth :  Be  he  righteous  or  unrighteous,  so  long  as  he 
is  opposed  to  the  laws  customary  from  of  old,  we  can  by  no 
means  bear  with  or  suffer  him. 

Josaphat  ■}  Let  him  forever  be  bound  in  prison  with  iron 
chains. 

Ptolomaeus :  Is  he  then  neither  righteous  nor  unright- 
eous? Why  do  we  so  long  delay,  ere  we  condemn  him  to 
death,  or  banish  him  out  of  the  land  ? 

Jeras :  It  is  much  better  and  wiser  that  he  be  put  out  of 
the  country,  or  that  he  be  sent  to  the  Emperor. 

Mesa :  Is  he  righteous,  we  ourselves  will  turn  unto  him ; 
is  he  unrighteous,  we  will  thrust  him  away  from  us. 

Samech :  Let  us  use  peaceful  means,  in  order  that  he  be 
not  stubborn  towards  us ;  and  will  he  not  afterwards  do  our 
will,  so  shall  he  be  punished  for  it. 

Caiaphas :  Ye  all  know  not  what  ye  say  to  one  another. 
It  is  better  for  us  that  one  man  die,  than  that  the  whole  people 
should  perish.^ 

And  from  then  on  they  thought  only  on  how  they  might  (n) 
put  him  to  death.    But  they  were  afraid,  and  said,  "Not  on 
the  feast  day,  lest  there  be  an  uproar  amongst  the  people."^ 

And  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day  being  ended,  all  the  (s^) 
multitude  sought  to  burn  the  daughter  of  Caiaphas,  on  ac- 
count of  the  loss  of  the  law ;  for  they  did  not  know  how  they 
were  to  keep  the  passover.*  And  she  said  to  them,  "Wait, 
my  children,  and  let  us  destroy  this  Jesus,  and  the  law  will 
be  found,  and  the  holy  feast  will  be  fully  accomplished." 

^A  name  used  in  the  famous  ^Mat.    xxvi.5.    All    his    para- 
mediaeval  tale  of  Barlaam  and  graph  is  found  in  the  Didascalia, 
Josephat,  which,  I  suppose,  sug-  V,  17. 
gested  its  use  here.  ^An  absurd  idea. 

^Cf.  John  xi.49,  50. 


3o6      THE  CONSPIRACY  AGAINST  CHRIST 

And  secretly  Annas  and  Caiaphas  gave  considerable  money 
to  Judas  Iscariot,  saying,  "Say  as  thou  saidst  to  us  before, 
'I  know  that  the  law  hath  been  stolen  by  Jesus,'  that  the 
accusation  may  be  turned  against  him,  and  not  against  this 
maiden,  who  is  free  from  blame."  And  Judas,  having  re- 
ceived this  command,  said  to  them,  "Let  not  all  the  multitude 
know  that  I  have  been  instructed  by  you  to  do  this  against 
Jesus ;  but  release  Jesus,  and  I  persuade  the  multitude  that 
it  is  so."    And  craftily  they  released  Jesus. 

(36)  And  Judas,  going  into  the  sanctuary  at  the  dawn  of  the 
fifth  day,  saith  to  all  the  people,  "What  will  ye  give  me,  and 
I  will  give  up  to  you  the  overthrower^  of  the  law,  and  the 
plunderer  of  the  prophets?"^  The  Jews  say  to  him,  "If  thou 
wilt  give  him  up  to  us,  we  will  give  thee  thirty  pieces  of 
gold."^  And  the  people  did  not  know  that  Judas  was  speak- 
ing about  Jesus;  for  many  of  them  confessed  that  he  was 
the  Son  of  God.  And  Judas  received  the  thirty  pieces  of 
gold.  Now  these  were  the  same  which  the  Magi  brought 
among  the  presents  for  Jesus.  They  were  lost  during  the 
flight  into  Egypt,  and  a  herdsman  finding  them,  offered  them 
in  the  temple,  so  that  they  came  into  the  hands  of  the  high 
priest,  who  with  them  purchased  the  treachery  of  Judas.* 
Now  Judas  had  been  unfortunate  in  regard  to  his  lust  for 
the  three  hundred  pence  for  the  ointment  of  Mary.  Thirty 
pence,  as  the  tenth  part  which  he  was  accustomed  to  appro- 
priate to  himself,  was  thus  lost  to  him,  and  this  persuaded 
him  to  compensate  himself  for  the  sum  lost,  by  the  basest 
treachery.^ 

(36)      Now  Jesus  abode  that  day  at  the  house  of  Simon  the 

^Or,  "taker  away."  this      money     with      the      gold 

''Judas'  going  into  the  temple  brought  by  the  Magi,  etc. 

in  the  morning  seems  to  be  an-  *This     is     contained     in     the 

other  idea  taken  from  the  Tole-  Golden  Legend, 

doth  Jeschu.  'That    Judas    took    the    tenth 

^This  substitution  of  gold  for  part  out  of  all  contributions  to 

the  silver  of  the  evangelical  nar-  the  purse,  is  mentioned  by  sev- 

rative    seems    bold,    but    it    ap-  eral   writers.     The   sentences   I 

pears  to  be  a  necessary  conse-  have  given  here  are  found  in  the 

quence  of  the   identification  of  Golden  Legend. 


THE  EVE  OF  THE  BETRAYAL  307 

leper,  the  disciples  being  with  him ;  and  he  told  unto 
them  the  things  which  were  about  to  happen  to  him.^  And 
Judas  going  out  at  the  fourth  hour,  and  at  the  fifth,  found 
Jesus  walking  in  the  street.  And  as  evening  was  coming  on, 
Judas  said  to  the  Jews,  "Give  me  the  aid  of  soldiers  with 
swords  and  staves,  and  I  will  give  him  up  to  you."  They 
therefore  gave  him  officers  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  him. 
And  as  they  were  going  along,  Judas  said  to  them,  "Lay  hold 
of  the  man  whom  I  shall  kiss,  for  he  hath  stolen  the  law  and 
the  prophets."^ 

Now  they  say  that  on  this  day  they  served  up  to  the  Lord  (n) 
a  roasted  cock.  And  when  Judas  had  gone  out  to  make  the 
bargain  about  the  Saviour,  he  ordered  the  roasted  cock  to 
rise  up  and  follow  the  traitor.  The  cock  did  so,  and  reported 
to  the  Lord  that  Judas  had  sold  him.  And  for  this,  that  cock 
shall  enter  paradise.^ 

^This  sentence  is  found  in  the  is  almost  identical  with  this,  as 

Didascalia,     V,     17.     See     Mat.  are   also    some   of   the   Arabian 

xxvi.6.  Nights  stories,  which  also  orig- 

"Ci.  Luke  xxii.47.  inated  in  Egypt.     As  to  the  last 

^This  is  a  Coptic  legend  given  sentence  of  the  above,  Moham- 

by    Thevenot,   Voyages,    II,   75.  med's  seven  animals  which  shall 

The  cock  makes  many  appear-  enter   paradise   will   be   remem- 

ances  in  legends  of  the  Passion,  bered. 
and  the  story  told  in  chap.  XXV 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  LAST  SUPPER,  BETRAYAL,  AND  ARRAIGNMENT. 

Christ  eats  the  Passover — Institutes  the  Eucharist — 
Hymn  with  the  Disciples — Discourse  in  the  Gar- 
den— Judas  betrays  Christ — He  is  tried  before  Caia- 
piiAS — Before  Annas — Is  accused  before  Pilate — 
Who  orders  Him  to  be  arraigned — The  Runner 
adores  Christ — The  Jews  murmur — The  Runner's 
Explanation — The  Standards  adore  Christ — This 
repeated — Procla's  Dream  and  Message. 

Main  Sources:  (20) — Acts  of  John,  11. 

(36) — Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  2,  3. 
(37) — Gospel   of   Nicodemus,   Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  I,  2. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  I. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  i, 

2, 

(n)  Now  the  disciples  said  unto  Jesus,  "Where  wishest  thou 
that  we  should  prepare  for  thee  to  eat  the  passover?"  And 
he  said  to  them,  "Have  I  earnestly  desired  to  eat  this  flesh, 
the  passover,  with  you?^  And  when  they  had  eaten  the 
passover  with  him,  and  when  Judas  had  dipped  his  hand 
into  the  dish,  and  received  the  sop,  and  was  gone  out  by 
night,  the  Lord  said  to  them,  "The  hour  is  come  that  ye 
shall  be  dispersed,  and  shall  leave  me  alone."-    And  every 

'This  is  given  by  Epiphanius,  It  indicates  the  vegetarian  point 

Heresies,    XXX,   22,   and   is   by  of  view  of  this  sect, 
him  attributed  to  the  Gospel  of         ^See  John  xvi.32 ;    Mat.xxvi.31. 
the  Ebionites.    Cf.  Luke  xxii.is. 

(308) 


INSTITUTION  OF  THE  EUCHARIST        309 

one  vehemently  affirming  that  they  would  not  forsake  him, 
Peter  adding  the  promise  that  he  would  die  with  him,  the 
Lord  said,  "Verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  before  the  cock  croweth, 
thou  shalt  thrice  deny  that  thou  knowest  me."^ 

And  he  delivered  to  his  disciples  the  representative  mys-  (n) 
teries  of  his  precious  body  and  blood,  Judas  not  being  present 
with  them.  And  he  said,  "For  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread 
and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  show  my  death  and  confess  my 
resurrection  till  I  come."^  Again  he  said,  "Let  no  man  de- 
ceive himself ;  if  any  be  not  within  the  altar,  he  is  deprived  of 
the  bread  of  God."^  If  any  one  taketh  the  body  of  the  Lord, 
and  rinseth  [the  mouth],  he  shall  be  accursed." 

And  lifting  up  his  hands,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples,  "Be-  (n) 
hold,  the  hour  is  come  to  drink  the  cup,  which  the  Father 
hath  given  me  to  drink.  I  go  again  to  my  Father  who  hath 
sent  me ;  and  I  say  to  you  again  :  I  send  you ;  keep  my  com- 
mandments. Teach  what  I  have  taught  you,  that  the  world 
may  know  it.  Therefore  receive  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  who- 
soever sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them ;  and  who- 
soever sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained ;  ye  have  heard  what 

^See  Luke  xxii.34.    This  para-  But  Peter  said,  'And  if  all,  yet 

graph,  with  the  exception  noted  not  I.'     But  the  Lord  said,  'The 

before,  is  taken  from  the  Apos-  cock  will  crow  twice,  and  thou 

tolic  Constitutions,  V,  14.     I  have  shalt  be  the  first  to  betray  me 

not    reproduced   by    any    means  thrice.' " 

the  full  account  of  the  Passion  ^This  sentence  is  given  by 
given  by  this  document ;  in  most  Resch  as  Logion  22 ;  see  pp.  105, 
places  it  is  but  a  paraphrase  of  178,  284.  It  is  found  in  the  Lit- 
the  four  Gospels.  The  Didas-  urgies  of  St.  Basil,  St.  Chry- 
calia,  closely  allied  to  the  Con-  sostom,  St.  Mark,  St.  James,  do. 
stitutions,  also  covers  all  this  Syriac.  Cf.  I  Cor.  xi.26;  Maf. 
ground,  but  scarcely  contains  xxvi.29;  Mark  xiv.25. 
enough  apocryphal  matter  to  be  ^This  sentence,  found  in  Igna- 
worth  reprinting  here.  The  tius  to  the  Ephesians,  V,  2,  and 
lately  discovered  Fayum  Gospel-  in  Pseudo-Ignatius  to  the  Ephe- 
fragment  also  thus  gives  this  sians,  V,  seems  to  be  attributed 
passage:  "Before  I  depart,  ye  all  to  Christ.  Cf.  I  Cor.  ix.13;  I 
will  be  offended  in  this  night  ac-  Cor.  x.i8.  The  following  one  is 
cording  to  the  scripture :  I  will  from  Horos  Kanonikos,  in  La- 
smite  the  shepherd  and  the  garde's  Reliquae  Juris.  Eccles. 
sheep  shall  be  scattered  abroad. 
24 


'310         LAST  SUPPER  TO  ARRAIGNMENT 

I'said  unto  you:  I  am  not  of  this  world,  the  Comforter  is 
among  you;  teach  through  the  Comforter.  As  the  Father 
hath  sent  me,  so  do  I  send  you.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  am 
not  of  this  world ;  but  John  shall  be  your  father,  till  he  shall 
go  with  me  into  the  paradise."  And  he  anointed  them  with 
the  Holy  Ghost.^ 
(20)  Now  before  he  was  taken  by  the  lawless  Jews,  who  also 
were  governed  by  the  lawless  serpent,^  he  gathered  the  dis- 
ciples all  together,  and  said,  "Before  I  am  delivered  up  to 
them,  let  us  sing  an  hymn^  to  the  Father,  and  so  go  forth 
to  what  lieth  before  us,"  So  he  commanded  them  to  make 
as  it  were  a  ring,  holding  one  another's  hands ;  and  himself 
standing  in  the  middle,  he  said,  "Respond  amen  to  me."  He 
began,  then,  to  sing  an  hymn,  and  to  say : 
(20)      Glory  to  Thee,  Father. 

And  the  disciples,  going  about  in  a  ring,  said,  "Amen." 

Glory  to  Thee,  Word ;  glory  to  Thee,  Grace.    Amen. 

Glory  to  Thee,  Holy  Ghost ;  glory  to  Thy  glory.    Amen. 

We  praise  Thee,  O  Father;  we  give  thanks  to  Thee,*  O 
Light  wherein  dwelleth  not  darkness.    Amen. 

Now  whereas  we  give  thanks,  I  say : 

I  would  be  saved  and  I  would  save.    Amen. 

I  would  be  loosed  and  I  would  loose.    Amen. 

I  would  be  pierced  and  I  would  pierce.    Amen. 

I  would  be  born  and  I  would  bear.     Amen. 

I  would  eat  and  I  would  be  eaten.    Amen. 

^Gospel  of  St.  John  preserved  but  Augustine  says  that  it  was 

by   the    Templars,    John    xvii.26  found    in     apocryphal     writings 

seq.     See  Thilo,  p.  880  seq.  which  were  not  peculiar  to  them. 

^This  clause  is  found  only  in  It  was  used  by  other  heretics  as 

some  of  the   Mss.     Probably  it  we  find  it  here.     Its  great  an- 

was  eliminated  in  order  to  purge  tiquity  is  evident, 

heretical  elements.    Some  under-  *May  not  the  hymn  up  to  this 

stand  the  lawless  serpent  here  to  point  have   given   some   sugges- 

refer  to  the  God  of  the  Old  Tes-  tions  towards  the  composition  of 

tament.  the       Te       Deum?     Augustine, 

^Evidently  this  is  a  Gnostic  at-  whose  name  is  generally  con- 
tempt to  supply  the  hymn  men-  nected  with  the  composition  of 
tioned  in  Mat.  xxvi.30.  It  is  at-  the  latter,  certainly  knew  the 
tributed    to    the    Priscillianists,  former. 


THE  HYMN  WITH  THE  DISCIPLES        311 

I  would  hear  and  I  would  be  heard.    Amen. 

I  would  be  understood,  being  wholly  understanding. 
Amen. 

I  would  wash  myself,  and  I  would  wash  others.     Amen. 

Grace  is  dancing,  I  would  pipe ;  dance,  all  of  you.^    Amen. 

I  would  mourn ;  lament,  all  of  you.     Amen. 

One  Ogdoad  is  singing  praise  with  us.     Amen. 

The  Twelfth  number  is  dancing  above.     Amen.^ 

Also  the  Whole,^  that  can  dance.     Amen. 

He  that  danceth  not,  knoweth  not  what  is  being  done. 
Amen. 

I  would  flee  and  I  would  stay.     Amen. 

I  would  deck  and  I  would  be  decked.     Amen. 

I  would  be  united  and  I  would  unite.     Amen. 

I  have  no  house  and  I  have  houses.*     Amen. 

I  have  no  place  and  I  have  places.     Amen. 

I  have  no  temple  and  I  have  temples.     Amen. 

I  am  a  lamp  to  thee  who  beholdest  nie.^    Amen, 

I  am  a  mirror  to  thee  who  perceivest  me.^    Amen. 

I  am  a  door  to  thee  who  knockest  at  me.'^     Amen. 

I  am  a  way  to  thee,^  a  wayfarer. 

Now  respond  to  my  dancing. 

See  thyself  in  me  who  speak;  and  when  thou  hast  seen 
what  I  do,  keep  silence  about  my  mysteries.* 

Thou  that  dancest,  perceive  what  I  do;  for  thine  is  this 
passion  of  the  manhood  which  I  am  to  suffer. 

For  thou  couldest  not  at  all  have  apprehended  what  thou 

*Cf.  Mat.  xi.17;  Luke  vii.32.  with  the   Gnostics,   and  no  sys- 

^This  line  and  the  one  above  tern   founded   on   twenty,   which 

plainly  reveal  the  Gnostic  origin  the    above    as    it    stands    would 

of  the  hymn.     It  is  probable  that  give,  is  known. 

an  intermediate  line  speaking  of  ^I  presume  that  this  refers  to 

a  Decad  has  fallen  out.     Nearly  the  Gnostic  Pleroma. 

all  the  principal  Gnostic  systems,  *Cf.  Mat.  viii.20;  John  xiv.2. 

e.  g.  that  of  Valentinus,  speak  of         "Cf.  Ps.  cxix.105. 

the    Ogdoad,    Decad,    and    Do-         *Cf.  Logion  36  b,  Resch,  n.  10. 

decad,  making  up  the  number  of         ^Cf.  John  x.7. 

thirty  aeons.    Thirty  is  the  mys-         'Cf.  John  xiv.4. 

tical    number    of    completeness         *Cf.  Mat.  xiii.ii. 


312         LAST  SUPPER  TO  ARRAIGNMENT 

sufferest,  if  I  had  not  been  sent  unto  thee  as  the  Word  by  the 
Father. 

Thou  that  hast  seen  what  I  suffer,  thou  hast  seen  me  as 
suffering;  and  seeing  that,  thou  hast  not  stood  firm,  but 
wast  moved  wholly,  yea,  moved  to  make  wise. 

Thou  hast  me  for  a  bed,  rest  upon  me. 

Who  am  I  ?     Thou  shalt  know  when  I  go  away.^ 

What  I  am  now  seen  to  be,  that  am  I  not ;  but  what  I  am, 
thou  shalt  see  when  thou  coniest. 

If  thou  hadst  known  how  to  suffer,  thou  wouldst  have  had 
the  power  not  so  suffer,^ 

That  which  thou  knowest  not,  I  myself  will  teach  thee. 

Thy  God  am  I,  not  the  God  of  the  betrayer. 

I  would  keep  time  with  holy  souls. 

In  me  know  thou  the  word  of  wisdom. 

Say  thou  again  with  me,  "Glory  to  Thee,  Father ;  glory  to 
Thee,  Word ;  glory  to  Thee,  Holy  Ghost." 

Now  concerning  me,  if  thou  wouldst  know  what  I  was. 

With  a  word  did  I  once  deceive  all  things,  and  was  not 
put  to  shame  in  any  wise. 

I  have  leaped;  but  do  thou  understand  the  whole,  and 
having  understood  it,  say, 

''Glory  to  Thee,  Father.  Amen."^ 
(n)  And  the  Lord  went  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  near  the 
brook  Cedron,  where  there  was  a  garden ;  and  the  disciples 
were  with  him.  And  he  said  to  them  :* 
(n)  The  tree  will  be  known  by  its  fruit,  so  that  men  will  praise 
it  on  account  of  its  fruit ;  for  it  is  more  excellent  than  many 
fruits  of  the  garden.^ 

*Cf.  John  xiv.3,  26,  etc.  "This,  and  all  the  matter  below 

^Precisely  the  teaching  of  mod-  given  before  the  next  reference 

ern  Christian   Science.     An  old  to  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  is 

foe  with  a  new  face.  found  in  a  Coptic  fragment,  Ein 

'I   conclude   here   my   excerpt  Neues    Evangelienfragment    von 

from    (20).     It   goes   on  to   tell  Adolf  Jacoby,   Strassburg,   1900. 

how     the     apostles,     after     this  For   scriptural   parallels   to   this 

dance,  like  men  awaked  out  of  paragraph,  see  Mat.  vii.i6;  Luke 

sleep,  fled  every  way.  vi.43,  44;    John  xv.i,  2  seq.     It 

*Apostolic  Constitutions,  V,  14.  is  not  absolutely  certain  that  this 


THE  DISCOURSE  IN  THE  GARDEN         313 

Amen.  Give  me  then  Thy  power,  my  Father,  wherewith 
I  may  lead  them  that  love  Thy  words.^ 

Amen.  I  have  taken  unto  me  the  crown  of  lordship, 
namely,  the  crown  of  those  who  live,  since  they  are  despised 
in  their  humility,  whilst  yet  no  one  hath  become  like  unto 
them.  I  have  become  king  through  Thee,  my  Father. 
Thou  makest  the  enemy  to  be  subject  unto  me. 

Amen.  Through  whom  shall  the  enemy  be  dashed  in 
pieces?     Through  the  Anointed  One. 

Amen.  Through  whom  shall  the  talons  of  death^  be  de- 
stroyed?    Through  the  Only-begotten. 

Amen.  To  whom  belongeth  the  lordship?  It  belongeth 
to  the  Son. 

Amen.  Through  whom  have  all  things  been?  Through 
the  First-born. 

And  when  the  Lord  had  completed  the  whole  story  of  his  (n) 
life,  he  turned  to  the  apostles,  and  said,  "The  hour  is  come 
when  I  must  be  taken  away  from  you.  The  spirit  truly  is 
willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  Tarry,  then,  and  watch  with 
me."  But  the  apostles  wept,  whilst  they  said  to  him,  "Blame 
us  not,  O  Son  of  God ;  what  is  then  our  end  ?"  Jesus  an- 
swered, and  said  unto  them,  "Fear  ye  not  lest  I  should  be 
destroyed,  but  yet  the  more  take  courage.  Fear  ye  not 
before  the  presence  of  the  power  of  death.  Remember  all 
that  I  have  said  unto  you.  Know  that  they  have  persecuted 
me,  as  they  have  persecuted  you.  Rejoice  ye,  then,  that  I 
have  overcome  the  world."^ 

And  being  separated  not  far  from  the  disciples,  the  Lord  (36) 

fragment  properly  belongs  here  'This  whole  paragraph,  from 
in  the  narrative,  but  it  is  most  •  the  same  source  as  the  fore- 
probable  that  it  does.  going,  is  a  remarkable  commin- 

^The  hymn  in  these  six  clauses,  gling  of  St.  John  and  the  synop- 

each   beginning    with    an    amen,  tics,  with  the  addition  of  some 

offers   points   of  correspondence  new  matter.     Cf.   Luke  xxii.4S ; 

with  the  foregoing  Gnostic  com-  John  xvi.33,  etc.     The  following 

position,  and  is  probably  related  paragraph,       with       exceptions 

to  it.  noted,    is    from    the    Apostolic 

^This    expression    has    before  Constitutions,  V,  14. 
been  noted,  which  see. 


314         LAST  SUPPER  TO  ARRAIGNMENT 

prayed  to  his  Father,  saying,  "Father,  remove  this  cup  away 
from  me,  yet  not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done."^  And  when 
he  had  done  this  thrice,  while  the  disciples  out  of  despond- 
ency of  mind  were  fallen  asleep,  he  came,  and  said,  "The 
hour  is  come,  and  the  son  of  man  is  betrayed  into  the  hands 
of  sinners."  And  behold,  Judas,  and  with  him  a  multitude 
of  ungodly  men,^  to  whom  he  showeth  the  signal  by  which 
he  was  to  betray  him — a  deceitful  kiss.  Going  up  to  Jesus, 
therefore,  he  kissed  him,  saying,  "Hail,  Rabbi  !"^  And  hav- 
ing laid  hold  of  the  Lord,  and  bound  him,  they  led  him  to 
the  house  of  Caiaphas  the  high  priest,  wherein  were  assem- 
bled many,  not  the  people,  but  a  great  rout,  not  an  holy 
council,  but  an  assembly  of  the  wicked  and  council  of  the 
ungodly.  And  when  they  gave  him  up  to  Caiaphas  and 
the  chief  priests,  Judas  said,  "This  is  he  who  stole  the  law 
and  the  prophets,"  And  the  Jews  gave  Jesus  an  unjust 
trial,  saying,  "Why  hast  thou  done  these  things?"  And 
he  answered  nothing.  And  they  did  many  things  against 
him,  and  left  no  kind  of  injury  untried,  spitting  upon  him, 
cavilling  at  him,  beating  him,  smiting  him  on  the  face, 
reviling  him,  tempting  him,  seeking  vain  divination  instead 
of  true  prophecies  from  him ;  calling  him  a  deceiver,  a  blas- 
phemer, a  transgressor  of  Moses,  a  destroyer  of  the  temple, 
a  taker  away  of  sacrifices,  an  enemy  to  the  Romans,  and 
adversary  to  Caesar.  And  these  reproaches  did  these  bulls 
and  dogs*  in  their  madness  cast  upon  him,  till  it  was  very 
early  in  the  morning ;  and  then  they  led  him  away  to  Annas, 
who  was  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas ;  and  they  did  the  like 
things  to  him  there,  it  being  the  day  of  the  preparation. 
But  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  seeing  the  seat 
of  the  plagues,^  stood  off  from  them,  not  wishing  to  perish 
along  with  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly.^ 

(36)      Having  therefore  done  many  and  dreadful  things  against 

(.37) 

(38) 

(39)      ^Luke   xxii.42;     Mat.    xxvi.39,  *Ci.  Ps.  xxii.12,  16. 

42.  ''Reading    of    the    Septuagint, 

^Luke  xxii.47;    Mat.  xxvi.47.  Ps.  i.i. 

^I  have  interpolated  this  sen-  'This    sentence    is    also    from 

tence  from   (36).  (36). 


CHRIST  ACCUSED  BEFORE  PILATE        315 

Jesus  that  night,  the  Jews  wished  to  give  him  up  to  Pilate 
the  procurator,  at  the  dawn  of  the  preparation,  that  he  might 
crucify  him.  And  for  this  purpose  they  all  came  together, 
and  accused  Jesus  before  Pilate,^  saying,  "A  man  walketh 
about  in  this  city  whose  father  is  called  Joseph  the  carpen- 
ter, and  his  mother  Mary ;  and  he  calleth  himself  king  and 
Son  of  God ;  and  being  a  Jew,  he  overturneth  the  scriptures, 
and  doeth  away  with  the  Sabbath,  and  wisheth  to  do  away 
with  the  law  of  our  fathers."^ 

Pilate,  then,  asked,  in  order  to  learn  from  them  in  what  (37) 
manner  he  did  away  with  the  Sabbath,  "What  is  it  that  he  ^^^l 
doeth,  and  wisheth  to  destroy  the  law  ?"  And  the  Jews  an- 
swered, saying,  "He  cureth  the  sick  on  the  Sabbath.  We 
have  a  law  not  to  heal  any  one  on  the  Sabbath,  but  he,  by 
evil  arts,  healeth  on  the  Sabbath  the  lame  and  the  hunch- 
backed, the  blind,  the  palsied,  the  lepers,  the  demoniacs,  the 
withered,  and  the  dumb."  Pilate  saith  to  them,  "If  he  mak- 
eth  the  sick  whole,  he  doeth  no  evil.  By  what  evil  arts?" 
They  say  to  him,  "He  is  a  magician.  If  he  effected  the  cures 
properly,  small  would  be  the  evil ;  but  by  using  magic  he 
doeth  these  things,  and  by  having  the  demons  on  his  side. 
By  Beelzebub,  prince  of  the  demons,  he  casteth  out  demons, 
and  they  are  all  subject  to  him."  Pilate  saith,  "To  cure  a 
person  that  is  ill  is  not  a  diabolic  work,  but  a  grace  from 
God.  It  is  not  in  an  unclean  spirit  to  cast  out  demons,  but 
in  the  god  Aesculapius."^ 

And  the  Jews  said,  "We  beseech  your  highness  to  sum-  (37) 
mon  him  before  your  tribunal,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  ^^l 

^From  (36).    From  here  on  to  sources,    these    charges    brought 

the  end  of  the  chapter,  the  nar-  against    Christ    are    necessarily 

rative  is  that  of  (37),  (38),  and  found  sometimes  to  be  in  con- 

(39).  flict.    It  will  be  noticed  that  the 

"Lactantius   says,  IV,   17,  that  main     charge     brought     against 

the  Jews  brought  charges  against  Him  in  (36),  that  of  stealing  the 

Jesus,   that   He   did   away   with  law,    appears    no    more    in    the 

the  law  of  God  given  by  Moses;  course  of  the  trial, 

that  is,  that  He  did  not  rest  on  ^(39)  here  reads,  "the  god  of 

the    Sabbath,    etc.    As   gathered  Scolapius."     The    Coptic    reads, 

from    the    various    apocryphal  "in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 


3i6         LAST  SUPPER  TO  ARRAIGNMENT 

make  accurate  inquiry  into  what  we  say."^  And  Pilate, 
having  called  them,  saith,  "Tell  me  how  I,  being  a  procura- 
tor, can  try  a  king?"  They  say  to  him,  "We  do  not  say  that 
he  is  a  king,  but  he  himself  saith  that  he  is."  And  Pilate, 
calling  one  of  his  officers,  Rahab,^  threw  off  his  cloak,'  and 
gave  it  to  him,  saying,  "Go  away,  and  show  this  to  Jesus, 
and  say  to  him,  'Pilate  the  governor  calleth  thee  to  come  be- 
fore him.'  And  let  Jesus  be  brought  in  with  respect."  And 
the  runner  going  out,  and  recognizing  him,  adored  him,  and 
took  the  cloak,^  and  spread  it  on  the  ground ;  and  urged  him 
to  walk  upon  it,  and  summoned  him,  saying,  "My  lord,  walk 
upon  this,  and  come  in,  because  the  governor  calleth  thee." 
And  the  Jews,  seeing  what  the  runner  had  done,  were 
greatly  enraged,  and  came  to  Pilate  murmuring  against  him 
that  he  had  deemed  Jesus  worthy  of  so  great  honour.  And 
they  cried  out,  saying,  "Why  hast  thou  ordered  him  to  come 
in  by  a  runner,^  and  not  by  a  crier  ?  for  the  runner  too,  see- 
ing him,  hath  adored  him ;  and  hath  spread  out  before  him  on 
the  ground  the  cloak  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  made 
him  walk  like  a  king;  and  hath  said  to  him,  'My  lord,  the 
governor  calleth  thee.'  " 
(27)  And  Pilate,  having  called  the  runner,  saith  to  him,  "Why 
(38)  hast  thou  done  this,  and  spread  out  the  cloak  upon  the  earth, 
and  made  Jesus  walk  upon  it?"  The  runner  saith  to  him, 
"My  lord  procurator,  when  thou  didst  send  me  to  Jerusalem 
to  the  Jew  Alexander,^  I  came  upon  Jesus  entering  the  gate 

^Another  reading  of  (37)  here  to  the  coursor,  or  runner, 

is,  "we  entreat  your  highness  to  *(39)    says   that   this   was  the 

go  into  the  praetorium  and  ques-  runner's  own  cloak;    (37)    does 

tion  him."  not  mention  the  circumstance  ot 

*The  name  is  given  only  in  cer-  the  cloak  at  all. 

tain  Mss.  of  (38).    The  name  is  ^Hofmann   refers  to  Chrysos- 

found  again  in  chaps.  XXXVI,  torn,     Suetonius,     Martial,     and 

XXXVIII,  applied  to  a  runner  others,    as     showing    the    high 

sent  from  Rome  by  Tiberius.  honour  implied  in  a  summons  by 

'Cowper    renders    this    word,  the  coursor,  or  runner, 

"scarf,"    and    says    it    means    a  'Possibly  it  is  here  intended  to 

loose  wrapper.    Only  (38)  states  indicate     the     Alexander    men- 

that  Pilate  gave  his  own  cloak  tioned  in  Acts  iv.6. 


THE  RUNNER'S  STORY  317 

of  the  city,  sitting  upon  an  ass ;  and  the  sons  of  the  Hebrews 
held  branches  in  their  hands,  others  cut  branches  from  the 
trees,  strewing  them  in  the  way;  others  spread  their  gar- 
ments in  the  way  under  him,  saying,  'Hosanna,  thou  who 
art  in  the  highest;  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord.'^  And  the  ass  walked  upon  the  garments,  and 
they  went  forth  to  meet  him,  and  cried.  Thus,  therefore,  it 
was  necessary  for  me  also  to  do."^ 
The  Jews,  hearing  these  words,  cried  out  and  said  to  the  (37) 

runner,  "The  children  of  the  Hebrews,  indeed,  cried  out  in  i^^l 

.  .    (39) 

Hebrew.    How  canst  thou,  a  Gentile,  know  what  was  said 

by  the  Hebrews?"    The  runner  saith  to  them,  'T  asked  one 

of  the  Jews,  and  said,  'What  is  it  they  are  shouting  in 

Hebrew  ?'  and  he  interpreted  it  for  me."  Pilate  saith  to  them, 

"And  what  did  they  shout  in  Hebrew?"    The  Jews  say  to 

him,    "HOSANNA    MEMBROME      BARUCHAMMA 

ADONAI."^     Pilate  saith  to  them,  "And  this  hosanna,  etc., 

how  is  it  interpreted  ?"  The  Jews  say  to  him,  "Save  now  in 

the  highest;  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 

Lord."    Pilate  saith  to  them,  "If  ye  bear  witness  to  the 

words  spoken  by  your  children,  in  what  hath  the  runner  done 

wrong?     How  now  do  ye  bring  charges,  and  say  against 

Jesus  what  ye  say?"    And  they  were  silent,  having  nothing 

to  answer.    And  the  procurator  saith  to  the  runner,  "Go  out,  * 

and  bring  him  in  what  way  thou  wilt."     And  the  runner 

going  out,  did  in  the  same  manner  as  before,  and  saith  to 

Jesus,  "My  lord,  come  in,  the  procurator  calleth  thee." 

Now  as  Jesus  was  coming  to  Pilate,  the  soldiers  of  Pilate  (37) 

adored  him.*     And  others  also  were  standing  before  Pilate  i^  } 

holding  standards.    And  the  tops  of  the  standards  were  bent 

'Mat.  XX1.8,  9.     Folf-lore  says  divinity   of   Christ,  and  convict 

that  the  cross  was  impressed  for-  themselves      in      every     charge 

ever  upon  the  back  of  the  ass  on  which  they  bring  against  Him. 
this    occasion.  ^Ps.    cxviii.26.    "Hosyah    bim- 

''Observe  how  here,  as  through-  romhn    barnch    habba    (b'shein) 

out  the  account  of  the  trial  in  Adonai." 

the    Gospel   of    Nicodemus,    the         *Only      (38)      mentions      the 

Jews  themselves  are  represented  adoration  by  the  soldiers. 
as  involuntary  witnesses  to  the 


3i8         LAST  SUPPER  TO  ARRAIGNMENT 

down,  and  adored  Jesus  as  he  was  coming  in.^  As  Pilate, 
therefore,  was  wondering  at  what  had  happened,  the  Jews 
seeing  the  standards,  how  they  bowed  themselves  and  adored 
Jesus,  cried  out^  the  more  vehemently  against  the  standard- 
bearers.  And  Pilate  saith  to  the  Jews,  "Do  ye  not  wonder 
how  the  tops  of  the  standards  were  bent  down,  and  adored 
Jesus?"  The  Jews  say  to  Pilate,  "We  see  how  the  standard- 
bearers  bent  them  down,  and  adored  him ;  it  was  not  the 
standards  that  adored  Jesus,  but  the  soldiers  who  were  hold- 
ing them  carelessly."  And  the  governor,  calling  the 
standard-bearers,  saith  to  them,  "Why  have  ye  done  so?" 
They  say  to  Pilate,  "We  are  Greeks  and  temple-slaves,^  and 
how  could  we  adore  him?  and  assuredly,  as  we  were  hold- 
ing them  up,  the  tops  bent  down  of  their  own  accord,  and 
adored  him." 
(37)  Pilate  saith  to  the  chiefs  of  the  synagogue  and  the  elders 
(39)  ^^  ^^^  people,  "Choose  ye  twelve  men,  strong  and  powerful, 
and  let  them  hold  up  the  standards  firmly ;  and  let  us  see 
whether  they  will  bend  down  with  them  of  themselves." 
And  the  elders  of  the  Jews,  taking  twelve  men  very  powerful 
and  strong,  made  them  hold  the  standards,  six  and  six ;  and 
they  stood  before  the  governor's  tribunal.  And  Pilate  saith 
to  the  runner,  "Take  Jesus  outside  of  the  praetorium,  and 
bring  him  in  again  in  whatever  way  thou  wilt !"  And  Jesus 
and  the  runner  went  out  of  the  praetorium.  And  Pilate,  call- 
ing those  who  had  formerly  held  the  standards,  said  to  them, 
"I  have  sworn  by  the  health  of  Caesar,  and  if*  the  standards 
do  not  bow  themselves  when  Jesus  cometh  in,  I  will  cut  off 

^This  miracle  is,  I  think,  sug-  "Some  Mss.  of  (37)  say,  "An- 

gested  by  the  earlier  ones  of  the  nas,   Caiaphas,   and   Joseph,   the 

trees    which    bowed     down    to  three   false  witnesses,  began   to 

Him;  and  of  the  idols  which  fell  cry  out." 

and  were  broken  before  Him.   A  ^This  is  the  literal  translation, 

Christ  in  His  Infancy  and  adored  but    the    meaning    certainly    is, 

similar  story  of  how  the  stand-  "worshippers  of  the  gods." 

ards  bowed  before  Mary  is  to  be  ^Some  Mss.  of   (39)   add,  "if 

found  in  the  Arabic  version  of  ye    make    the    standards    to    in- 

the  Prayer  of  the  Virgin  at  Bar-  cline." 
tos. 


PROCLA'S  DREAM  AND  MESSAGE  319 

your  heads."  And  the  procurator  ordered  Jesus  to  come  in 
the  second  time.  And  the  runner  did  in  the  same  manner 
as  before,  and  made  many  entreaties  to  Jesus  that  he  would 
go  up  to  walk  on  the  cloak.  And  he  walked  on  it,  and  went 
in.  And  as  he  went  in,  the  standards  were  again  bent  down, 
and  adored  Jesus. 

And  Pilate,  seeing  this,  wondered  greatly  and  was  afraid ;  (37) 
and  immediately  he  sought  to  go  away  from  the  tribunal;  i^^l 
but  the  Jews  said,  "He  is  a  magician,  and  through  that  he 
doeth  these  things."  And  when  he  was  still  thinking  of  going 
away,  his  wife  Procla^  sent  to  him,  saying,  "Have  nothing 
to  do  with  this  just  man;  for  many  things  have  I  suffered 
on  his  account  this  night."^  And  Pilate,  calling  the  Jews, 
said  to  them,  "Ye  know  that  my  wife  is  a  worshipper  of  God, 
and  preferreth  to  adhere  to  the  Jewish  religion  along  with 
you."^  The  Jews  say  to  him,  "So  it  is,  and  we  know." 
Pilate  saith  to  them,  "Lo,  my  wife  hath  sent  to  me,  saying, 
'Have  nothing  to  do  with  this  just  man ;  for  I  have  suffered 
many  things  on  account  of  him  this  night.'  "  And  the  Jews, 
answering,  said  to  Pilate,  "Did  we  not  say  to  thee,  that  he  is 
a  magician?*  Lo,  he  hath  sent  a  vision  of  dreams  to  thy 
wife."^ 

^The   name    is   given    only   in  chap.  XXXVIII. 
some  Mss.  of  (37)  ;  it  is  given  ^Mat.  xxvii.ig. 
Procle     in     (38).     It     is     men-  ^This  story  that  Pilate's  wife 
tioned   also   by   Nicephorus   and  was  a  proselyte  is  certainly  not 
John    Malela.     By    Pseudo-Dex-  a  probable  one. 
ter  she  is  called  Claudia  Procula,  *Some  Mss.  of  (37)  here  add : 
and   this    author   tells    how    she  "And  by  Beelzebub,  prince  of  the 
afterwards  became   a   Christian,  demons,  he  casteth  out  the  de- 
She  has  been  honoured  as  a  saint  mons,  and  they  are  all  subject 
by  the  Eastern  church  and  by  the  to  him." 

Ethiopian  church,  where  she  is  ^The  possibility  of  such  dreams 

called    Abrocla.     Fabricius    de-  being  sent  by  the  power  of  evil 

scribes  (III,  398),  a  book  which  was  held  in  the  classical  religion, 

appeared  in  the  eighteenth  cen-  and  widely  recognized  by  early 

tury  and  pretended  to  give  the  Christian      writers,      of      which 

history  of  her  life.     See  notes  in  many  instances  might  be  given. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE. 

Charges  made  by  the  Jews — Twelve  Men  deny  that 
Christ  was  born  of  Fornication — Pilate  pronounces 
Christ  Innocent — Confers  with  Him — New  Accusa- 
tions— Nicodemus  speaks  in  Favour  of  Christ — 
Others  witness  for  Him — Veronica — Many  Others 
— ^Jews  prefer  Barabbas  to  Christ — Pilate's  Address 
TO  Christ — Pilate's  Address  to  the  Jews — Is  Afraid 
— Sends  Christ  to  Herod— Who  questions  Him  and 
SENDS  Him  back  again. 

Main  Sources:  (27) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  2-9. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

P'orm,  2-9. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  2-9. 

(37)  And  Pilate,  havingf  summoned  Jesus,  saith  to  him,  "Hear- 
)ig(  est  thou  what  these  testify  against  thee?  Sayest  thou  nothing 
to  them?"^  And  Jesus  said,  "Unless  they  had  the  power 
they  would  say  nothing;  for  every  one  hath  the  power  over 
his  own  mouth  to  speak  both  good  and  evil  as  he  wisheth.- 
Let  them  see  to  it."^  And  the  elders  of  the  Jews  answered, 
and  said  to  Jesus,  "What  shall  we  see.     First,  that  thou 

^See  Mat.   xxvii.13,   14.    This  all  these  correspondences,  which 
present  chapter,  as  drawn  from  would  unduly  burden  the  notes, 
the    Gospel    of    Nicodemus,    is  John's  Gospel  is  most  extensive- 
made  up  almost  entirely  of  ex-  ly  used, 
tracts  from  the  four  Gospels.    I  ^Cf.  John  xix.ii. 
have    by    no    means    thought    it  ^Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.24. 
necessary  to  give  references  to 

(320) 


THE  FIRST  CHARGE  DISPROVED 


321 


wast  born  of  fornication;^  secondly,  that  thy  birth  in  Beth- 
lehem was  the  cause  of  the  murder  of  the  infants  f  thirdly, 
that  thy  father  Joseph  and  thy  mother  Mary  fled  into  Egypt 
because  they  had  no  confidence  in  the  people." 

Some  of  the  bystanders,  God-fearing  men  of  the  Jews,  {^y) 
say,  "We  deny  that  he  was  born  of  fornication ;  for  we  know  * -^^^ 
that  Joseph  espoused  Mary,  and  he  was  not  born  of  fornica- 
tion." Pilate  saith  to  the  Jews  who  said  that  he  was  born 
of  fornication,  "This  story  of  yours  is  not  true,  because  they 
were  betrothed,  as  also  these  fellow  countrymen  of  yours 
say."  Annas  and  Caiaphas  say  to  Pilate,  "We,  with  all  the 
multitude,  cry  out  that  he  was  born  of  fornication,  and  that 
he  is  a  magician,  and  are  not  believed;  these  are  proselytes 
and  his  disciples."  And  Pilate,  calling  Annas  and  Caiaphas, 
saith  to  them,  "What  are  proselytes?"^  They  say  to  him, 
"They  are  by  birth  children  of  the  Gentiles,  and  have  now 


^This  charge,  now  first 
brought  forward  and  given  the 
principal  place  amongst  the  ac- 
cusations against  Christ,  was 
certainly  not  heard  of  in  the  first 
century.  In  the  second  century, 
it  was  used  by  Celsus,  see  Ori- 
gen  against  Celsus,  I,  28,  notes 
on  chap.  IV.  From  this  period 
until  modern  times  it  has  been 
one  of  the  chief  charges  brought 
against  Christ  by  the  Jews.  Its 
refutation  was  probably  one  of 
the  chief  motives  that  led  to  the 
composition  of  the  First  Part  of 
the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus.  The 
story  commonly  told  is,  that 
Mary  was  the  wife  or  betrothed 
of  a  man  named  Jochanan;  she 
lived  with  her  mother,  a  widow, 
at  Bethlehem.  Joseph  Pandera, 
a  soldier,  had  carnal  intercourse 
with  her  thrice  on  a  Sabbath 
evening,  whilst  she  was  sitting 
before  the  door  of  her  house. 
She   was  at  the   time   unclean. 


and  thought  that  Joseph  was  her 
husband  Jochanan.  These  stories 
are  referred  to  in  the  Talmud, 
and  given  in  fullest  detail  in 
Toledoth  Jeschu,  as  well  as 
many  other  Jewish  books.  I  will 
only  refer  to  Eisenmenger,  I, 
'^2)2),  249,  261.  The  name  Pan- 
ther is  given  in  early  Christian 
genealogies  of  Christ.  May  it 
not  also  have  some  connection 
with  the  Greek  Pandarus  and  his 
legend? 

^Some  Mss.  of  (38)  here  say 
14,000,  others,  44,000  infants. 

^Pilate  has  shortly  before  de- 
scribed his  wife  as  a  proselyte, 
although  not  using  the  word. 
But  this  inconsistency  is  in  line 
with  that  which  throughout  the 
work  represents  him  as  at  one 
instant  ignorant  of  the  most  ele- 
mentary facts  concerning  the 
Jews,  and  the  next,  indulging  in 
long  disquisitions  upon  their  his- 
tory. 


322  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

become  Jews."  And  those  that  knew  of  his  daily  Hfe  and 
said  that  he  was  not  born  of  fornication,  and  was  no  magi- 
cian, were :  Lazarus,  Asterius,  Antonius,  James,  Amnes, 
Zeras,  Samuel,  Isaac,  Phinees,  Crispus,  Agrippa,  and  Judas.^ 
And  they  said,  "We  were  not  born  proselytes,  but  are  sons 
of  the  Jews,  and  we  speak  the  truth ;  for  we  were  present 
at  the  betrothal  of  Joseph  and  Mary." 
(37)  And  Pilate,  calling  these  twelve  men,  saith  to  them,  "I 
(^gi  adjure  you  by  the  health  of  Caesar,  to  tell  me  whether  it  be 
true  that  ye  say,  that  he  was  not  born  of  fornication."  They 
say  to  Pilate,  "We  have  a  law  against  taking  oaths,  because 
it  is  a  sin ;  but  let  them  swear  by  the  health  of  Caesar  that 
it  is  not  as  we  say,  and  we  are  worthy  of  death."  Pilate 
saith  to  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  "Have  ye  nothing  to  answer  to 
this  which  these  testify  ?"  Annas  and  Caiaphas  say  to  Pilate, 
"These  twelve  are  believed  when  they  say  that  he  was  not 
born  of  fornication ;  and  all  of  us  cry  out  and  know  for  cer- 
tain that  he  was  born  of  fornication,  and  that  he  is  a  magi- 
cian, and  a  blasphemer,  and  that  he  saith  that  he  is  the  Son 
of  God  and  a  king,  and  we  are  not  believed." 
(37)  And  Pilate  ordereth  all  the  multitude  to  go  out,  except  the 
>^^<-  said  twelve  men  alone ;  and  he  ordereth  Jesus  to  be  separated 
from  them.  And  Pilate  saith  to  them  privately,  "For  what 
reason  do  they  wish  to  put  him  to  death  ?"  They  say  to  him, 
"They  are  angry  because  he  healeth  on  the  Sabbath."  Pilate 
saith,  "For  a  good  work  do  they  wish  to  put  him  to  death  ?" 
They  say  to  him,  "Yes,  my  lord." 
(37)  And  Pilate  went  outside  the  praetorium,  being  filled  with 
Hq)  ^^^y  ^"^  anger,  and  said  to  Annas,  Caiaphas,  and  the  crowd 
who  brought  Jesus,  "I  take  the  sun  to  witness^  that  I  find  no 
fault  in  this  man."  The  Jews  answered,  and  said  to  the  pro- 
curator, "If  he  were  not  a  magician  and  blasphemer,  we 
would  not  have  delivered  him  to  your  highness."    And  Pilate 

^There  are  great  variations  in  to  pronounce  sentence  of  death 

the      form      of      these      names  upon     the     culprit     raises     his 

amongst  the  different  versions.  hands  aloft,  and  takes  the  sun  to 

"See    Apostolic    Constitutions,  witness  that  he  is  innocent  of  his 

II,  56 :  "At  last  he  who  is  going  blood." 


PILATE  CONFERS  WITH  CHRIST  323 

said,  "Take  ye  him,  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law."^ 
The  Jews  said  to  Pilate,  "It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any 
one  to  death."  Pilate  said,  "Hath  God  said  that  ye  are  not  to 
put  to  death,  but  that  I  am  ?-  If  ye  are  unwilling  to  put  him 
to  death,  how  much  more  am  I." 

And  Pilate  went  again  into  the  praetorium,  and  spake  to  (37) 
Jesus  privately,  and  said  to  him,  "Tell  me,  art  thou  the  king  S^  I 
of  the  Jews  ?"^  Jesus  answered  Pilate,  "Dost  thou  say  this 
of  thyself,  or  have  others  said  it  to  thee  of  me?"  Pilate 
answered  Jesus,  "Am  I  also  a  Jew?  Thy  nation  and  the 
chief  priests  have  given  thee  up  to  me.  What  hast  thou 
done  ?"  Jesus  answered,  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world ; 
for  if  my  kingdom  were  of  this  world,  my  servants  would 
fight  in  order  that  I  should  not  be  given  up  to  the  Jews ; 
but  now  my  kingdom  is  not  from  thence."  Pilate  said  to 
him,  "Art  thou,  then,  a  king?"*  Jesus  answered  him,  "Thou 
sayest  that  I  am  a  king.  Because  for  this  I  have  been  born, 
and  for  this  I  have  come,  that  I  should  bear  witness  to  the 
truth ;  and  every  one  who  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice." 
Pilate  saith  to  him,  "What  is  truth?"  Jesus  saith  to  him, 
"Truth  is  from  heaven."  Pilate  saith,  "Is  truth  not  upon 
earth?"  Jesus  said  to  Pilate,  "Thou  seest  how  those  who 
speak  the  truth  are  judged  by  those  that  have  the  power  upon 
earth."5 

And  leaving  Jesus  within  the  praetorium,  Pilate  went  out  (37) 
to  the  Jews,  and  said  to  them,  "I  find  no  fault  in  him."  The  ;:?  ( 
Jews  answered,  "Let  us  tell  your  highness  what  he  said.  He 
said,  T  can  destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  build  it.'  "" 
Pilate  saith,  "What  temple?"  The  Jews  say,  "The  one  that 
Solomon  built  in  forty-six  years ;'''  and  this  man  speaketh 
of  pulling  it  down  and  building  it  in  three  days."     Pilate 

^See  John  xviii.31.  canonical  account  by  the  aid  of 

Tilate  here  evidently  refers  to  the  suggestions  offered  by  these 

the  sixth  commandment.  passages. 

^John  xviii.33  seq.  'See      Mat.     xxvi.6l ;      Mark 

*John'  xviii.37.  xiv.50. 

"Cf.    with    John    xviii.37,    do.  ''See    John    ii.20.     The    apoc- 

xiv.6  and  xv.26.    The  apocryphal  ryphal    writer    has    ventured    to 

writer   has    here    expanded   the  embellish    the    canonical    narra- 


324  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

saith  privately  to  the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and 
Pharisees,  "I  entreat  you,  do  nothing  evil  against  this  man. 
For  if  ye  do  evil  against  him,  ye  will  do  unjustly.  It  is  not 
just  that  such  a  man  should  die,  who  hath  done  great  good 
to  many  men.  For  though  ye  accuse  him,  I  do  not  find  him 
worthy  of  death,  not  even  about  the  healing  and  the  break- 
ing of  the  Sabbath."  The  priests  and  elders  say,  "Tell  us, 
if  any  one  blaspheme  Caesar,  is  he  deserving  of  death,  or 
not  ?"  Pilate  saith  to  them,  "He  deserveth  to  die."  They  say 
to  Pilate,  "If,  my  lord,  he  who  dishonoureth  Caesar  is 
worthy  of  death,  how  much  more  this  man  who  dishonoureth 
God?"i 

(37)  And  the  procurator  ordered  the  Jews  to  go  outside  of  the 
(iq)  praetorium ;  and  summoning  Jesus,  he  saith  to  him,  "What 

shall  I  do  to  thee?"  Jesus  saith  to  Pilate,  "As  it  hath  been 
given  to  thee."^  Pilate  saith,  "How  given?"  Jesus  saith, 
"Moses  and  the  prophets  have  proclaimed  beforehand  of  my 
death  and  resurrection."^  And  the  Jews,  noticing  this,  and 
hearing  it,  say  to  Pilate,  "What  more  wilt  thou  hear  of  this 
blasphemy?"  Pilate  saith  to  the  Jews,  "These  words  are 
not  an  insult  against  God,  since  they  are  written  in  the  books 
of  the  prophets.  But  if  these  words  be  blasphemous,  do  ye 
take  him  for  the  blasphemy,  and  lead  him  away  to  your 
synagogue,  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law."  The 
Jews  say  to  Pilate,  "Our  law  beareth  that  a  man  who 
wrongeth  his  fellow-men  is  worthy  to  receive  forty  strokes 
with  a  rod,  save  one;  but  he  that  blasphemeth  God  is  to  be 
stoned  with  stones."*  Pilate  saith  to  them,  "Do  ye  take  him, 
and  punish  him  in  whatever  way  ye  please."^  The  Jews 
say  to  Pilate,  "We  wish  that  he  be  crucified."  Pilate  saith, 
"He  is  not  deserving  of  crucifixion." 
(37;      And  the  procurator,  looking  round  upon  the  crowd  of  the 

(38)  Jews  standing  by,  seeth  many  of  the  Jews  weeping,  and 

tive  here,  and  so  perpetrated  a  ^Cf.  Luke  xxiv.27. 

glaring    anachronism    regarding  *See  Deut.  xxv.3 ;  Lev.  xxiv.io- 

Solomon's  temple.  16;  II  Cor.  xi.24. 

'Cf.  Mark  xiv.64.  *John  xviii.31. 

*Ci.  John  xix.ii. 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  NICODEMUS 


325 


saith,  "To  me  it  seemeth  that  it  is  not  the  wish  of  all  the 
people  that  this  man  should  die."  The  elders  of  the  Jews 
say,  "For  this  reason  have  all  the  multitude  of  us  come  to- 
gether, that  he  should  die."  Pilate  saith,  "Why  should  he 
die?"  The  Jews  say,  "Because  he  calleth  himself  Son  of 
God^  and  king." 

But  a  God-fearing  Jew,  one  Nicodemus,^  stood  before  the  (37) 
procurator,  and  said,  "I  beseech  your  highness  to  let  me  say  ^^g) 
a  few  words."  "Say  on,"  saith  Pilate.  Nicodemus  saith, 
"I  being  present  in  the  synagogue,  said  to  the  priests,  and 
the  elders,  and  the  Levites,  and  to  all  the  multitude,  'What 
have  ye  to  say  against  this  man?  This  man  doeth  many 
miracles,  such  as  man  hath  never  yet  done,  nor  will  do.  Let 
him  go,  therefore,  and  do  not  devise  any  evil  against  him. 
If  the  miracles  which  he  doeth  are  of  God,  they  will  stand; 
but  if  of  man  they  will  come  to  nothing.^  For  assuredly, 
Moses  being  sent  by  God  into  Egypt,  did  many  miracles 
which  the  Lord  commanded  him  to  do  before  Pharaoh  king 
of  Egypt.     And  there  were  there  Jannes  and  Jambres,*  ser- 


Vohn  xix.7. 

*For  scriptural  reference  to 
Nicodemus,  see  John  iii.i ;  vii.50; 
xix.39.  A  tradition  given  by 
Photius  and  Lucianus  Presby- 
terus  says  that  he  was  a  cousin 
of  Gamaliel,  and  was  baptized  by 
Peter  and  John  along  with  the 
latter  and  his  son,  Abiba.  As 
Nicodemus  was  on  account  of 
his  apostasy  deprived  of  his  of- 
fice by  the  Jews,  he  was  taken 
by  Gamaliel  into  his  own  house, 
where  he  afterwards  died,  and 
was  buried  near  Stephen.  Ac- 
cording to  another  tradition, 
Nicodemus  was  the  son  of  Ga- 
maliel, and  afterwards  died  a 
martyr.  Notice,  that  the  speech 
of  Nicodemus  here  given  bears 
great  resemblance  to  that  which 
Gamaliel  made,  Acts  v.34  seq. 
25 


Other  legends  regarding  Nico- 
demus will  be  found  in  follow- 
ing chapters. 

*See  Acts  v.38. 

*See  II  Tim.  iii.8,  9.  These 
names  are  found  in  the  Palestine 
Targum  at  Ex.  vii.ii.  In  the 
Apostolic  History  of  Abdias,  the 
names  are  given  Jannes  and 
Mambres,  and  the  variant  is 
found  in  some  of  the  later  Tar- 
gums.  There  are  many  tradi- 
tions about  them,  as  that  they 
were  the  sons  of  the  prophet  Ba- 
laam. Their  graves  are  shown 
in  Egypt.  Arabic  traditions  about 
them  are  given  in  the  Asiatic 
Journal,  1843,  No.  VII.  See  also 
Baring-Gould,  Legends  of  Old 
Testament  Characters,  II,  68 
seq.;  Fabricius,  Cod.  Pseud.  Vet. 
Test.,  I,  813  seq.;    where  refer- 


326  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

vants  of  Pharaoh ;  and  they  also  did  by  magic  art  not  a  few 
of  the  miracles  which  Moses  did/  but  not  all ;  and  the  Egyp- 
tians took  them  to  be  gods — this  Jannes  and  this  Jambres. 
But  since  the  miracles  which  they  did  were  not  of  God,  what 
they  did  perished ;  and  both  they  and  those  who  believed  in 
them  were  destroyed.  This  Jesus,  then,  raised  up  Lazarus, 
and  he  is  alive.  On  this  account  I  entreat  thee,  my  lord,  by 
no  means  to  allow  this  man  to  be  put  to  death ;  for  he  is  not 
deserving  of  it." 

(37)  The  Jews  said  to  Nicodemus,  "Thou  hast  become  his  dis- 

(38)  ciple,  and  therefore  thou  defendest  him."^     Nicodemus  saith 
(39) 

to  them,  "Hath  the  governor  also  become  his  disciple,  and 

doth  he  take  his  part?  Hath  the  Emperor  not  appointed 
him  to  his  place  of  dignity  ?"  And  the  Jews  were  vehemently 
enraged,  and  gnashed  their  teeth  against  Nicodemus. 
Pilate  saith  to  them,  "Why  do  ye  gnash  your  teeth  against 
him  when  ye  hear  the  truth  ?"  The  Jews  say  to  Nicodemus, 
"Mayest  thou  receive  his  truth  and  have  a  portion  with  him." 
Nicodemus  saith,  "Amen,  amen ;  may  I  receive  it  as  ye  have 
said." 
(37)  And  when  Nicodemus  had  thus  spoken,  another  Jew  rose 
S^31  up,  and  said  to  Pilate,  "I  beg  of  thee,  my  lord  Pilate,  hear  me 
also."  Pilate  answered,  "Say  what  thou  wishest."  And 
the  Jew  said,  "Thirty-eight  years  I  lay  in  my  bed  in  great 
agony.  And  when  Jesus  came,  many  demoniacs,  and  many 
lying  ill  of  various  diseases  were  cured  by  him.  And  some 
young  men  taking  pity  on  me,  carried  me,  bed  and  all,  and 
took  me  to  him.  And  when  Jesus  saw  me,  he  had  com- 
passion on  me,  and  said  to  me,  'Take  up  thy  couch  and 
walk.'  And  immediately  I  was  made  whole,  and  took  up 
my  couch  and  walked."  The  Jews  say  to  Pilate,  "Ask  him 
on  what  day  it  was  that  he  was  cured."  He  that  had  been 
cured  said,  "On  a  Sabbath."  The  Jews  say,  "Is  not  this 
the  very  thing  that  we  said,  that  on  a  Sabbath  he  cureth  and 
casteth  out  demons."^ 

ence  may  be  found  to  many  au-         ^See  Ex.  vii. 10-14. 

thors  who  treat  of  these  charac-         *Cf.  John  vii. 52. 

ters.  *See  John  v.2.10.    Some  Mss. 


MANY  WITNESSES  TESTIFY  327 

And  another  Tew,  standing:  in  the  midst,  said,  "I  was  born  {2,7) 

(38) 
(39) 


Wind;  and  as  Jesus  was  going  along  the  road,  I  cried  to  ^"^  ^ 


him,  saying,  'Have  mercy  upon  me,  Lord,  thou  son  of 
David.'  And  he  pitied  me,  and  took  clay  and  anointed  mine 
eyes ;  and  straightway  I  received  my  sight."^  And  another 
Jew,  starting  up,  said,  ''I  was  hunch-backed,  and  seeing  him, 
I  cried,  'Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,'  And  he  took  me 
by  the  hand,  and  I  was  immediately  straightened."^  And 
another  said,  "I  was  a  leper,  and  he  cured  me  with  a  word."^ 

And  also  a  certain  woman,  Veronica  by  name,  from  afar  (2,7) 
off  cried  out  to  the  governor,  "I  was  flowing  with  blood  for  >^g< 
twelve  years ;  and  I  touched  the  fringe  of  his  garment,  and 
immediately  the  flowing  of  my  blood  stopped."     The  Jews 
say,  "We  have  a  law  that  a  woman's  evidence  is  not  to  be 
received."* 

And  a  Jew  spake  among  others,  "I  saw  that  Jesus  with  (39) 
his  disciples  was  bidden  to  a  wedding  at  Cana  of  Galilee; 
and  the  wine  failed.  And  when  the  wine  failed,  he  com- 
manded the  servants  that  they  should  fill  the  six  water-pots 
which  stood  there,  with  water ;  and  they  filled  them  to  the 
brim.  And  he  blessed  them,  and  turned  the  water  into  wine; 
and  all  the  people  drank,  and  wondered  at  the  sign."^ 

of  (39)  give  here  the  entire  con-  ''Cf.  Luke  xiii.ii;  Mat.  ix.2. 
tents  of  the  foregoing  passage,  ^Cf.  Mat.  viii.2 ;  Luke  xvii.l2 
including  the  account  of  how  the  seq. ;  Mark  i.40-45. 
angel  periodically  troubled  the  "Cf.  Mat.  ix.20  seq. ;  Mark 
waters  of  the  pool,  and  imparted  v.25  seq. ;  Luke  viii.43  seq.  The 
to  it  heahng  virtue,  a  narrative  name  Veronica  is  generally  men- 
which  probably  did  not  belong  tioned  only  by  the  Latin  ver- 
to  the  original  text  of  John.  See,  sions.  For  discussion  of  it,  see 
in  next  chapter,  another  expla-  chap.  XVI.  Other  Veronica  leg- 
nation  of  the  virtue  of  this  pool,  ends  will  follow.  For  the  state- 
The  original  text  of  the  Gospel  ment  that  a  woman's  evidence 
of  Nicodemus  evidently  did  not  was  not  received  by  the  Jews, 
contain  this  incident,  or  the  long  see  Josephus,  Antiquities,  IV,  8, 
list  of  others  verbally  extracted  15 ;  Otho's  Lex.  Rob.  s.  v.  "Tes- 
from  the  Gospels,  which  follows,  timonium." 

*Cf.    Mat.    XX.29    seq. ;    Mark  ^This,  with  the  four  following 

x.46-52;  Luke  xviii.3S.    Cf.  also  paragraphs,  is  found  only  in  cer- 

John  ix.i.  tain  Mss.  of  the  Latin  version. 


328  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

(39)  And  another  Jew  arose,  and  said,  "I  saw  Jesus  when  he 
taught  in  Capernaum  in  the  synagogue.  And  in  the  syna- 
gogue was  a  man  who  was  possessed  by  a  demon,  and  cried 
out,  saying,  'Let  me  be.  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  O 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  ?  Art  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  I  know 
that  thou  art  the  holy  one  of  God.'  And  Jesus  rebuked  him, 
and  said,  'Be  silent,  unclean  spirit,  and  come  out  of  this 
man.'  And  immediately  he  came  out  of  him,  and  did  not 
injure  him."^ 

(39)  And  a  Pharisee  said  this,  'T  saw  how  a  great  multitude 
came  to  Jesus  out  of  Galilee  and  Judaea,  and  from  the  sea, 
and  from  many  places  on  the  Jordan ;  and  many  sick  came  to 
him,  and  he  healed  them  all.  And  I  heard  the  unclean  spirits 
call,  and  cry,  'Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.'  And  he  rebuked 
them  severely,  that  they  should  not  make  him  manifest."^ 

(39)  And  thereupon  said  another  named  Centurio,  "I  saw  Jesus 
at  Capernaum,  and  besought  him,  and  said,  'Lord,  my  ser- 
vant lieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy.'  And  Jesus  said  to  me, 
'Go,  and  be  it  unto  thee  as  thou  hast  believed.'  And  at  the 
same  hour  was  the  servant  healed."^ 

(39)  And  after  that  a  nobleman  said,  "I  had  a  son  in  Caper- 
naum who  was  dying ;  and  when  I  heard  that  Jesus  came  to 
Galilee,  I  went  to  him  and  besought  him  that  he  would  come 
down  to  my  house  and  heal  my  son ;  for  he  was  about  to  die. 
And  he  said  to  me,  'Go,  thy  son  Uveth.'  And  he  was  healed 
at  the  same  hour."* 

(37)      And  others,  a  multitude  both  of  men  and  women,  cried  out, 

(38) 

(39)  They  are   all   undoubtedly  very      was   C.   Oppius,   and  he  was   a 

late    interpolations,    and    intro-  Spaniard,  the  son  of  Caius  Cor- 

duced  with  little  variation  from  nelius,   who   was   also   a   centu- 

the    canonical    texts.      For   this  rion.    He  was  the  first  of  all  the 

miracle,  see  John  ii.i  seq.  Gentiles,     after     the     death     of 

^See  Mark  i.23  seq. ;  Luke  iv.33  Christ,  baptized ;  by  the  Apostle 

seq.  Barnabas;    and    afterwards    be- 

"See  Mark  iii.6-8;  Mat.  xii.14-  came  the  third  bishop  of  Milan. 

i6.  According  to  Gregory  of  Nyssa, 

^See  Mat.  viii.5  seq.    The  com-  he  became  bishop  of  Cappadocia. 

piler  here  treats  the  centurion's  For  this,   and   much   more,   see 

official  title  as  a   proper  name.  Fabricius,  III,  471. 

According  to  legend,  his  name  ^See  John  iv.47  seq. 


BARABBAS  PREFERRED  TO  CHRIST   329 

saying,  "This  man  is  a  prophet,  and  the  demons  are  subject 
to  him."  Pilate  said  to  them  who  said  that  the  demons  were 
subject  to  him,  "Why,  then,  were  not  your  teachers  also  sub- 
ject to  him?  and  how  were  the  demons  thus  not  at  all  afraid 
of  your  parents  also?"  They  say  to  Pilate,  "We  do  not 
know."  And  others  said  to  Pilate,  "He  raised  up  dead 
Lazarus  from  the  tomb,  after  four  days,  by  a  single  word."^ 
And  the  procurator,  hearing  of  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  was 
afraid,  and  said  to  the  people,  "Why  do  ye  wish  to  shed  the 
innocent  blood  of  a  just  man?" 

And  having  summoned  Nicodemus  and  the  twelve  God-  (37) 
fearing  Jews,  Pilate  said  to  them,  "What  do  ye  say  that  I  }^g( 
should  do  ?  because  there  is  insurrection  among  the  people." 
They  say  to  him,  "We  do  not  know ;  do  as  thou  wilt ;  but 
what  the  people  do,  they  do  unjustly,  in  order  to  kill  him. 
Let  them  see  to  it." 

Pilate  again  going  outside,  and  summoning  all  the  multi-  (37) 
tude  of  the  people,  said  to  them,  "Ye  know  that  it  is  custom-  [^g) 
ary  at  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  to  release  one  pris- 
oner to  you  of  Jthe  criminals  kept  in  custody.^  I  have  one 
condemned  prisoner  in  the  prison,  a  murderer  named  Barab- 
bas,^  and  this  man  standing  in  your  presence,  Jesus,  in  whom 
I  find  no  fault.  Which  of  them  do  ye  wish  me  to  release 
to  you?"  And  they  cry  out,  "Barabbas."  Pilate  saith, 
"What,  then,  shall  we  do  to  Jesus  who  is  called  Christ  ?"  The 
Jews  say,  "Let  him  be  crucified."*  Again,  others  of  them 
cried  out,  "If  thou  release  Jesus,  thou  art  no  friend  of 
Caesar;  because  he  calleth  himself  Son  of  God  and  king. 

'See  John  xi.i-i6.  disappeared  from  the  chief  man- 

^See     Mat.     xxvii.15;     Luke  uscripts,  partly  from  feelings  of 

xxiii.17;      John     xviii.39.    Hof-  reverence,  partly  from  the  mis- 

mann  gives,  p.  360,  many  refer-  taken  fancy  of  Origen  that  we 

ences  to  discussion  of  the  ques-  find  no   sinner  among  all  those 

tion  whether  or  not  such  a  cus-  who  had  borne  the  name.     It  is 

torn  existed.  now  found  in  some  cursive  Mss., 

'Farrar  says  that  there  is  some  and  in  the  Armenian  and  Syriac 

reason    for    thinking    that    the  versions  of  the  N.  T. 

name     of     Barabbas     was     also  *See  Mat.  xxvii.15-18,  21-23. 
"Jesus,"   although   it  may  have 


330  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

And  if  thou  dost  free  him,  he  becometh  a  king,  and  will  take 
Caesar's  kingdom.  Thou  wishest,  then,  perhaps,  this  man 
to  be  a  king,  and  not  Caesar."^ 
(37)  Pilate,  therefore,  was  enraged,  and  said,  "Always  hath 
{^^}  your  nation  been  devilish,  unbelieving,  and  rebellious ;  and 
always  have  ye  been  adversaries  to  your  benefactors,  and 
spoken  against  them."  The  Jews  say,  "And  who  were  our 
benefactors  ?"  He  saith  to  them,  "Your  God  freed  you  out 
of  the  hand  of  Pharaoh,  from  bitter  slavery  in  Egypt,  and 
brought  you  safe  through  the  sea  as  upon  dry  land.  In  the 
desert  He  fed  you  with  manna,  and  gave  you  quails,  and 
gave  you  water  to  drink  out  of  the  dry  rock,  and  gave  you  a 
law,  which  denying  God,  ye  broke.  Ye  provoked  Him  to 
anger,  and  sought  a  molten  calf;  ye  exasperated  your  God, 
and  He  sought  to  slay  you ;  and  if  Moses  had  not  stood  and 
entreated  Him,  ye  would  have  perished  by  a  bitter  death. 
All  these  things,  then,  ye  have  forgotten.  Thus,  also,  even 
now,  ye  say  that  I  do  not  at  all  love  Caesar,  but  hate  him, 
and  wish  to  plot  against  his  kingdom."^ 

(37)  And  having  thus  spoken,  Pilate  rose  up  from  the  throne 
^38)  with  anger,  wishing  to  flee  from  them.    The  Jews,  therefore, 

cried  out,  saying,  "We  wish  Caesar  to  be  king  over  us,  not 
Jesus,  because  Jesus  received  gifts  from  the  Magi.^  And 
Herod  also  heard  this — that  there  was  going  to  be  a 
king — and  wished  to  put  him  to  death,  and  for  this  purpose 
sent  and  put  to  death  all  the  infants  that  were  in  Bethlehem.* 
And  on  this  account  also,  his  father  Joseph  and  his  mother 
fled  from  fear  of  him  into  Egypt." 
(3;)      So  then,  Pilate,  hearing  this,  was  afraid,  and  ordered  the 

(38)  crowd  to  keep  silence,  because  they  were  crying  out ;  and  he 
said  to  them,  "So  this,  then,  is  the  Jesus  whom  Herod^ 

^See  Mat.  xxvii. 15-18,  21-23  which  the  N.  T.  applies  only  to 

^This  address  by  Pilate  is  evi-  divine  gifts,  especially  those  im- 

dently  modelled  on  that  of  Ste-  parted  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

phen  in  Acts  vii.  "Some     Mss.     of     (37)     add, 

^The  word  used  concerning  the  "from  two  years  old  and  under." 

gifts  of  the  Magi,  in  Mat.  ii.ii,  "The  compiler  confuses  Herod 

is   Sutpa.     But   the   word  used  the  Great  and  Herod  Antipas. 

above     for    gifts     is     -^apiafiay 


CHRIST  EXAMINED  BY  HEROD  331 

sought,  that  he  might  put  him  to  death  ?"  They  say  to  him, 
"Yes,  it  is  he."  Pilate,  therefore,  having  ascertained  that 
he  was  of  the  jurisdiction  of  Herod,  as  being  derived  of  the 
race  of  the  Jews,^  sent  Jesus  to  him. 

And  Herod,  seeing  him,  rejoiced  greatly,  because  he  had  (38) 
been  long  desiring  to  see  him,  hearing  of  the  miracles  which 
he  did.  He  put  on  him,  therefore,  white  garments.  Then 
he  began  to  question  him.  But  Jesus  did  not  give  him  an 
answer.  And  Herod,  wishing  to  see  also  some  miracle  or 
other  done  by  Jesus,  and  not  seeing  it,  and  also  because  he 
did  not  answer  him  a  single  word,  sent  him  back  again  to 
Pilate.2 

^This  idea  here    expressed    is      in    (38).    The    interpolation   of 
absurd.  Luke   xxiii.6-ii   is  manifestly  a 

^This  narrative  is  found  only      late  addition. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS. 

Pilate  condemns  Christ — The  Sentence  in  Full — 
Christ  scourged — Abused — Mocked — Crowned  with 
Thorns — The  Cross  prepared — Its  Curious  History 
according  to  Several  Versions — Judas  repents — Is 
reproached  by  the  Jews — The  Miracle  of  the 
ROASTED  Cock — Death  of  Judas — Christ  bears  the 
Cross — John  and  Others  follow  after — Mary  comes 
and  laments — Veronica — The  Wandering  Jew. 

Main  Sources:  (37) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  9,  10. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  9,  10. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  9, 

10. 
(40) — Gospel  of  Peter,  i,  2,  6-9. 
(50) — Legends. 
(51) — Sentence  of  Pilate. 

(37)  Now  when  Pilate  saw  that  Herod  had  sent  Jesus  back  to 
(Igl  him,  he  ordered  his  officers  to  bring  water.  Washing,  then, 
(40)  his  hands  with  water  in  the  face  of  the  sun,,  he  said  to  the 
people,  "I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  good  man.  See 
ye  to  it,  that  he  is  unjustly  put  to  death,  since  neither  have  I 
found  a  fault  in  him,^  nor  Herod ;  for  because  of  this  he  hath 
sent  him  back  again  to  me."  The  Jews  said,  "His  blood  be 
upon  us,  and  upon  our  children."^    But  of  the  Jews  none 

^Cf.    Mat.    xxvii.24.    For    Pi-      washing,  cf.  Deut.  xxi.6. 
late's  witnessing  in  sight  of  the         ^See  Mat.  xxvii.2S, 
sun,  see  note,  last  chap.    For  the 

(332) 


PILATE  PASSES  SENTENCE 


333 


washed  his  hands,  neither  Herod  nor  any  of  his  judges. 
And  when  they  had  refused  to  wash  them,  Pilate  rose  up. 
And  thereupon  Herod  the  king  commanded  that  the  Lord  be 
taken  off,  saying  to  them,  "What  things  soever  I  commanded 
you  to  do  unto  him,  do."^ 

Then  Pilate  sat  down  upon  his  throne  to  pass  sentence.  (37) 
And  he  ordered  the  curtain  of  the  tribunal,  where  he  was  ^Agl 
sitting,  to  be  drawn.^  He  gave  order,  therefore,  and  Jesus 
came  before  him.  Then  Pilate  passed  sentence,  and  said 
unto  him,^  "Thy  nation  saith,  and  testifieth  against  thee,  that 
thou  wishest  to  be  a  king.*  On  this  account  I  sentence  thee, 
first  to  be  scourged,  according  to  the  enactment  of  venerable 
kings,  with  forty  strokes,  and  that  they  shall  mock  thee,  and 
then  shalt  thou  be  fastened  on  the  cross  in  the  garden  where 
thou  wast  seized.^  And  let  Dismas  and  Gestas,  the  two 
malefactors,  be  crucified  with  thee." 

Here  followeth,  word  for  word,  the  death  sentence  passed  (51) 
by  Pilate :® 


*A11  these  strange  words  are 
from  (40),  Representing  Herod 
as  present  at  the  scene  of  judg- 
ment, they  are  scarcely  recon- 
cilable with  the  narrative  of  the 
Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  which  here 
conforms  to  that  of  the  canon- 
ical Gospels. 

"Hofmann  proposes  an  emen- 
dation of  the  text,  translating 
this  passage  quite  differently,  in 
which  I  do  not  concur.  See  p. 
362.  Thilo,  p.  576,  gives  refer- 
ences to  this  Roman  custom  of 
drawing  the  velum,  or  curtain. 

Whilst  the  canonical  Gospels 
say  nothing  of  a  sentence  pro- 
nounced by  Pilate,  such  a  thing 
is  mentioned  by  Lactantius  and 
Tertullian. 

*Notice  that  Pilate  here  disre- 
gards all  the  charges  upon  which 
the  Jews  have  laid  most  stress. 


''This  idea  doubtless  arises 
from  a  mistaken  identification  of 
the  gardens  mentioned  in  John 
xix.41 ;   xviii.i. 

Whilst  this  very  late  piece  has 
absolutely  no  claim  to  be  consid- 
ered a  proper  apocryphal  docu- 
ment, I  think  it  has  some  inter- 
est; and  it  gathers  into  one  a 
large  number  of  legends.  This 
is  the  longest  of  the  number  of 
such  pieces  that  are  extant.  An- 
other interesting  one,  much 
shorter,  is  given  by  Hofmann,  p. 
368.  It  purports  to  have  been 
found  graven  on  a  bronze  plate, 
in  1820,  in  Aquileia,  in  the  king- 
dom of  Naples.  On  the  back  of 
the  plate  was  graven,  "A  like 
plate  has  been  sent  to  each 
tribe."  The  date,  character  of 
this  plate,  etc.  remind  one  of  the 
Mormon  legend;  Joseph  Smith's 


334     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

(51)  In  the  seventeenth  year  of  Claudius  Tiberius,  Roman 
Emperor  and  invincible  monarch  of  the  whole  world ;  in  the 
202d  olmypiad,  or  Greek  reckoning  of  time  by  periods  of  five 
years,  and  in  the  24th  Iliad;  in  the  3996th  year  after  the 
creation  of  the  world  according  to  the  common  reckoning; 
in  the  73d  year  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  in  the  794th  after 
the  founding  of  the  city  of  Rome ;  in  the  440th  year  after  the 
return  from  the  Babylonian  captivity,  and  the  487th  after  the 
reestablishment  of  the  holy  dominion;  under  the  civil  ad- 
ministration of  Furius  Camillus,  Aruntius  Scribonianus, 
Lucius  Pisanus,  Cn.  Domitius  Aenobarbus,  and  Marcus 
Isauricus,  consuls  or  chief  councillors  of  the  Roman  people ; 
under  the  government  of  Lucius  Balena,  pro-consul  in  Pal- 
estine ;  of  Quintus  Flaccus  as  governor-general  in  Judaea ;  of 
Pontius  Pilate,  the  beloved  president  of  the  city  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  of  Herod  Herodiades  Antipatriades,  regent  in  lower 
Galilee;  under  the  high  priest  Annas  Caiaphas  Alexander, 
and  the  assistant-priest,  Raban  Achabel ;  finally,  when  the 
Roman  mayors  and  overseers  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem  were 
Quintus  Cornelius  Sublinia,  and  Sextus  Pompilius  Ruffus ; 
in  the  midst  of  March,^  have  I,  Pontius  Pilate,  President  of 

alleged      golden      plates      were  history  of  the  placing  of  the  date 

found    in    1827.     Justin    Martyr  of  Christmas,  the  Annunciation, 

says,    that    after    the    death    of  and  the   Crucifixion   is   curious. 

Christ,  information  of  this  was  All  three,  from  early  times,  were 

sent  to  the  Jews  throughout  the  felt   to   be   closely   related;    and 

world,    as    does    also    Eusebius.  the    tradition    is    prevalent    that 

For  accounts  of  some  of  these  Christ  was  crucified  on  the  an- 

alleged    documents    among    the  niversary   of   the    Annunciation. 

Jews,  see  Fabricius,  III,  495.  In  the  Greek   Menaea,  the  me- 

^The  above  list,  both  of  dates  morial  of  the  Crucifixion  is  made 

and    names,    merits    no    serious  on  Mar.  22,.    It  is  now  said  that 

discussion.     The  other  sentence  astronomical    calculations    prove 

of   Pilate   to   which   I   have   re-  that  on  the  14th  of  Nisan  (Apr. 

ferred    above,    distinctly    places  6),  a.  d.   31,  there  was  a   total 

the  Crucifixion  on  Mar.  25,  the  eclipse    of   the    sun.     If    this    is 

date  which  is  evidently  referred  true,  which  is  probable,  it  should 

to  here,  and  is  given  in  the  pre-  settle  the  date  of  the  Crucifixion 

faces  to  (37)  and  (39).    A  wide-  as  having  occurred  on  that  day. 

spread  tradition  makes  this  day  But  notice,  that  this  would  still 

the  date  of  the  Crucifixion.    The  leave  these  three  dates  curiously 


THE  SENTENCE  IN  FULL  335 

the  Roman  Empire,  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  palace  of 
the  arch-resident,  after  notice  taken  of  a  penal  matter,  con- 
victed, condemned,  and  sentenced  to  death;  and  I  also  do 
hereby  again  convict,  condemn,  and  sentence  to  death  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  who  by  the  people  is  called  the  Christ  and 
Messiah  and  the  anointed  one  of  Nazareth;  that  he,  as  a 
malefactor,  be  affixed,  raised  up,  stretched  out,  set  up,  and 
hanged  upon  a  cross. 

And  this  I  ordain,  because  he  hath  been  a  man  seditious  (51 ) 
against  the  law  of  the  Jews,  which  they  call  that  of  Moses, 
and  a  rebel  against  the  priesthood  of  the  same,  as  well  as 
against  the  power  and  majesty  of  the  mighty  Emperor 
Tiberius.  Also,  the  people  have  not  ceased  to  adhere  to  him, 
making  for  him  a  faction  composed  of  persons  coming  from 
everywhere  both  in  the  city  and  in  the  country,  by  which, 
meanwhile,  things  dangerous  to  this  city,  to  the  temple  of  the 
Jews,  and  to  our  most  gracious  Lord  and  Master  the  Roman 
Emperor,  are  instigated  and  undertaken.  In  particular,  in 
consideration  that  unceasingly  he  hath  threatened  the  de- 
struction and  ruin  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  its  holy  tem- 
ple, together  with  their  polity,  and  hath  forbidden  to  give 
tribute  or  taxes  to  the  Emperor.  Yea,  in  consideration  that 
he  hath  also,  against  the  teachings  of  the  Mosaic  law  of  the 
Jews,  given  himself  out  to  be  a  Son  of  God;  and  against 
Roman  law  hath  called  himself  a  king,  namely,  king  of  the 
Jews,  and  a  king  in  Israel.  Whence  also,  in  consequence 
of  his  once  having  a  little  power,  as  a  triumphant  conqueror 
he  insolently  went  into  Jerusalem  and  the  temple  with  palms 
and  acclamations,  stirred  up  the  people,  and  addressed  to 
them  seditious  words  and  speeches. 

Accordingly,  then,  in  consideration  of  all  such  high  and  (51) 
punishable  crimes  and  misdemeanors,  I  determine  and  will, 
in  the  name  of  the  illustrious  Roman  government,  that  for 
the  due  performance  and  execution  of  the  above  sentence, 

intertwined.    Jan.  6,  the  Epiph-  Annunciation    on    Apr.   6,    and 

any,    is    certainly    the    Church's  thus   still   make   it  the  anniver- 

primitive   Christmas;   the   adop-  sary  of  the  Crucifixion, 
tion  of  this  date  would  throw  the 


336     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

my  centurion,   Cornelius   Francinus/   after  he   shall   have 
caused  the  said  Jesus  of  Nazareth  to  be  scourged  according 
to  Roman  custom,  shall  next  lead  him  forth  between  two 
murderers  already  sentenced,  through  the  gate  Zagarola, 
now  called  Antoniana,  to  the  place  of  execution,  otherwise 
called  the  place  of  a  skull,  and  there  inflict  upon  him  his 
doom  and  gibbet  of  the  cross ;  and  for  a  terror  to  all  evil- 
doers, according  to  the  sentence  passed,  shall  he  draw  up, 
nail,  and  hang  his  body,  waiting  our  order  as  to  whatsoever 
further  is  to  be  done  therewith. 
(51)      He  shall,  also,  for  a  terror  to  all  rebels,  and  for  an  explana- 
tion of  this  deserved  punishment,  set  up  upon  the  cross  the 
following  inscription   in   those   languages   that  are  to-day 
commonest  and  best  understood,  namely: 
Hebrew :  JESU  ATIOU  OLISANDIN.^ 
Greek:  Jesous  Nazarenos  Basileus  ton  Joudaion.^ 
Latin :  Jesus  Nazarenus  Rex  Judaeorum.* 
(51)      It  is  hereby  strictly  interdicted  and  forbidden  to  any,  of 
whatsoever  rank  or  condition,  and  of  whichsoever  nation, 
Roman  or  Jewish,  they  be,  to  presume  to  prejudice  our  cen- 
turion or  captain  of  the  guard  in  the  execution  and  fulfil- 

'Of  course,  all  these  names  are  King  of  the  Jews."  Luke  adds 
entirely  fanciful.  I  suppose  it  is  the  words,  "This  is,"  at  the  be- 
the  intention  of  the  compiler  to  ginning  of  the  inscription.  Mat- 
identify  this  man  with  the  good  thew  prefixes,  "This  is  Jesus;" 
centurion,  generally  called  in  and  John,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth." 
legend  Longinus.  See  notes  in  According  to  Honoratus  Nique- 
next  chapter.  tus,  this  inscription  is  still  to  be 

^Thus  it  stands  in  this  docu-  seen  in  Rome  at  the  church  of 

ment.     Thilo  notes,  referring  to  the  Holy  Cross  in  Jerusalem, 

this,  III,  492,  "Nozri  Melech  Je-  *The  Latin  inscription,  accord- 

hudvm."    Edersheim  in  his  Life  ing  to  Matthew,  would  be,  "Hie 

of  Jesus,  II,  590,  expresses  the  est     Jesus     Rex     Judaeorum." 

belief  that  the  Hebrew  inscrip-  Edersheim  says  that  this  exactly 

tion  must  have  read,  "Jeshu-han-  corresponds  with  that  which  Eu- 

Notsri  malka  dilmdaey."  sebius  gives  as  the  Latin  titulus 

^This  is  the  form  of  the  in-  on  the  cross  of  one  of  the  early 

scription     as     given     by     John  martyrs.     He      therefore      con- 

xix.19.    All  the  evangelists  con-  eludes  that  it  rightly  represents 

tain    in   their   report    of    it   the  the  official  Latin  words, 
words    given    by    Mark,    "The 


PILATE  HAS  CHRIST  SCOURGED 


337 


ment  of  the  aforesaid  sentence,  or  to  offer  any  hindrance 
thereto,  under  penalty  of  certain  and  unavoidable  punish- 
ment as  insurrectionaries  and  rebels  against  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, and  as  disobedient  to  our  most  gracious  lord,  the 
Emperor,  in  respect  both  to  the  Roman  and  Jewish  laws,  in 
such  cases  ordained  and  established. 

By  counsel  and  command  of  the  great  council  of  the  Jews,  (51) 
witnesses  of  this  our  sentence : 


Rabani  the  Hebrew.^ 

Daniel. 

Rabani  the  Chaldaearu 

Joan. 

Bouian. 

Barbas  Jusabe. 

Bercalan. 
Of  the  Pharisees: 

Kolcan. 

Simeon. 

Bonol. 

Rabani  the  Egyptian. 

Mandagra. 

Bemonforchi. 

The  sentence  to  this  effect,  then,  having  been  passed  by  (^y) 

Pilate,  he  had  Christ  scourged,  being  bound  to  a  marble  i^} 

pillar  in  the  judgment  hall,  according  to  the  Roman  custom.-  (40) 

(50) 


For  the  priests : 

Rabani  the  Chief. 
Judas. 
Boncassado. 
Notaries  of  public  penal 
justice  for  the  Jews  : 
Natani. 
Bertoch. 
For  the  Roman  Emperor 
and    Roman    Presi- 
dent: 
Lucius  Sextilius. 


^It  may  plainly  be  seen  that 
many  of  these  names  are  late 
Italian  in  form. 

'^According  to  Mat.  xxvii.26 
and  Mark  xv.is,  the  scourging 
was  just  before  Christ  was  de- 
livered over  to  be  crucified ;  but 
according  to  John  xix.i,  it  was 
before  sentence  was  pronounced. 
Scourging  was  customary  before 
crucifixion.  The  marble  pillar 
here  mentioned  is  the  Roman 
tradition.  It  is  referred  to  by 
Jerome,  Beda,  and  others.  A 
part  of  this  pillar  is  shown  in 


Rome,  in  St.  Praxed's  church; 
it  is  said  to  have  been  brought 
thither  in  1223.  According  to  the 
Mohammedan  writer,  Ahmed 
ben  Abdalla,  Christ  received 
5,000  blows  from  the  scourge. 
This  nearly  agrees  with  the  Rev- 
elations of  Bridget,  which  de- 
clare, as  do  Barradius  and  Lu- 
dolphus  Saxo,  that  Christ  had 
5,475  wounds.  Barradius  attrib- 
utes the  extra  475  wounds  to  the 
blows  which  Christ  received  on 
the  Via  Dolorosa.  According  to 
Echius,    Christ    received    5,375 


338     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 


Then  he  delivered  Jesus  and  the  two  robbers  with  him,  to 
the  Jews,  to  be  crucified.^  And  the  Jews  began  to  strike 
Jesus,  some  with  rods,  others  with  their  hands,  others  with 
their  feet;  some  also  spat  in  his  face.  And  they  clothed 
him  with  purple,  and  set  him  on  the  seat  of  judgment,  saying, 
"Judge  righteously,  O  king  of  Israel."-  And  one  of  them 
brought  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it  on  the  head  of  the 
Lord,^  and  put  a  reed  into  his  right  hand.  Others  also  stood 
and  spat  in  his  eyes,  and  others  smote  his  cheeks;  others 
pricked  him  with  a  reed,  whilst  some  scourged  him,  saying, 
"With  this  honour,  let  us  honour  the  Son  of  God."*  And 
Jesus  went  forth  out  of  the  praetorium,  the  two  malefactors 
also  being  with  him. 
(38)  Immediately,  therefore,  the  Jews  got  ready  the  cross,  and 
(50)  giving  it  to  Jesus,  flew  to  take  the  road.^     Now  the  cross  had 


blows  of  the  scourge,  according 
to  Lanspergius,  5,460.  Vincen- 
tius  says  that  the  body  consists 
of  276  bones,  and  that  three 
blows  fell  upon  each  of  them. 

^Mat.  xxvii.26;  Mark  xv.15; 
Luke  xxiii.25 ;  John  xix.i6. 

*Mat.  xxvii.29,  etc. 

'The  tree  from  the  twigs  of 
which  the  crown  of  thorns  was 
plaited  is  said  to  be  still  shown 
at  Jerusalem.  The  oldest  paint- 
ers represent  this  crown  as  a 
chaplet  which  encircled  the  head. 
Vincentius  says  that  Christ's 
head  was  wounded  by  it  in  sev- 
enty-two places. 

*These  details  are  found  in 
(40.) 

^Adrichomius,  in  Theatram 
Terrae  Sanctae,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing remarkable  "facts"  as  to 
the  various  points  along  the  Via 
Dolorosa.  From  the  palace  of 
Pilate  to  the  place  of  execution 
was  1,321  paces,  or  3,333  feet. 
After  Christ  had  gone  26  paces. 


the  cross  was  laid  upon  Him. 
After  80  paces  more.  He  fell  the 
first  time.  After  61  1-5  addi- 
tional paces,  He  met  John  and 
Mary.  71  3-5  paces  further  on. 
He  came  to  a  crossway,  where 
Simon  of  Cyrene  was  compelled 
to  bear  the  cross,  igi  1-5  paces 
further,  He  met  Veronica.  At  a 
distance  of  336  4-5  paces  thence, 
He  fell  the  second  time.  He 
walked  now  along  a  rough  and 
stony  way  leading  towards  the 
north,  348  4-5  paces,  to  a  place 
where  two  roads  met,  and  there 
He  saw  for  the  last  time  the 
weeping  women.  From  there,  it 
was  161  2-5  paces  to  the  foot  of 
Mount  Calvary,  where  He  fell  the 
last  time.  After  18  paces,  He 
finally  came  to  the  place  where 
He  was  given  the  wine  mixed 
with  gall;  12  paces  further  on. 
He  was  nailed  to  the  cross ;  and 
14  paces  further  still,  the  cross 
was  raised  up  on  Calvary. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  CROSS 


339 


the  form  of  a  T/  and  was  fifteen  feet  high,^  its  transverse 
beam  being  eight  feet  long.  It  was  composed  of  four  pieces 
of  wood  f  the  upright  beam,  the  cross  beam,  the  tablet 
above  the  Saviour's  head,  on  which  was  the  superscription, 
as  Pilate*  had  commanded,  and  the  socket  in  which  the  cross 
was  fastened,  or,  as  some  say,  the  fourth  piece  was  the 
wooden  shelf  upon  which  the  Saviour's  feet  rested.  And 
these  four  pieces  were  of  as  many  kinds  of  wood,  that  is,  of 
palm,  cypress,  olive,  and  cedar.* 

The  Jews  had  formed  the  upright  beam  of  a  piece  of  tim- 
ber which  they  found  floating  upon  the  pool  of  Bethesda. 
Now  this  beam  had  grown  from  the  branch  of  the  tree  of 
life^  which  the  angel  Michael  gave  to  Seth,  son  of  Adam,  in 


(so) 


^TertulHan,  Jerome,  etc.  declare 
in  favour  of  this  form,  whilst 
Justin  Martyr,  Irenaeus,  and 
others  testify  in  favour  of  the 
Latin  cross,  which  seems  to  be 
the  more  probable  tradition.  See 
Baring-Gould's  Curious  Myths 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  art.  "Leg- 
end of  the  Cross,"  for  many  cu- 
rious details  on  the  subject  of 
the  cross. 

*This  tradition  is  given  by 
Barradius,  Commentar.,  IV,  255. 
It  does  not  seem  probable  that 
it  should  have  been  so  high. 

'The  mediaeval  legend  of  the 
cross,  which  is  given  in  the  re- 
mainder of  this  paragraph  and 
in  the  three  following  ones,  is 
found  in  the  Golden  Legend,  in 
an  old  Dutch  work  of  the  thir- 
teenth century  mentioned  by 
Baring-Gould,  p.  379,  in  the 
works  of  Gervase  of  Tilbury,  in 
the  Vita  Christi,  printed  at 
Troyes,  in  1517,  and  in  many 
other  works  to  which  I  might 
refer.  Parts  of  it  are  very 
much  older  than  these,    I  shall 


try  to  distinguish  some  of  these 
sources,  in  the  notes  on  the  com- 
posite narrative  which  I  have 
here  prepared. 

*The  Golden  Legend  names 
the  four  kinds  of  wood  in  the 
cross.  The  three,  however,^  pine, 
cypress,  and  cedar,  are  more 
generally  mentioned;  I  think 
that  this  is  the  original  legend, 
and  that  it  owes  its  origin  to  a 
misapplication  of  Is.  lx.13.  See 
Thilo,  p.  891.  The  Toledoth 
Jeschu  says  that  Christ  had 
taken  an  oath  from  all  the  trees 
that  none  of  them  would  bear 
Him.  This  is  an  adaptation  of 
the  Norse  myth  of  Balder. 
Christ,  according  to  this  book, 
was  finally  hung  on  a  cabbage 
stalk  (kraut-stengel)  ;  Balder 
was  killed  by  the  mistletoe.  See 
Eisenmenger,  I,  p.  180.  Euro- 
pean folk-lore  says  that  the 
aspen  trembles  for  horror,  be- 
cause the  cross  was  made  from 
its  wood. 

°This  is  the  version  in  the 
Golden     Legend.    In     Malory's 


340     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

paradise.  For  when  Adam  felt  death  approaching-,  he  sent 
Seth  to  the  gates  of  paradise,  to  ask  for  the  oil  of  the  tree  of 
mercy,  which  had  once  been  promised  him,  wherewith  he 
might  be  healed.^  Then  Seth  followed  a  verdant  path,  along 
which  were  traces  of  the  footsteps  of  Adam  and  Eve 
as  they  fled  from  paradise ;  for  their  feet  scorched  the  grass 
as  they  went  along;  and  he  saw  at  last  a  great  light,  and 
flames  which  reached  even  unto  the  clouds.  These  were  the 
walls  of  paradise.  Then  did  the  angel  Michael  appear  unto 
him,  and  say,  "Weep  not,  nor  supplicate  for  this  oil  of 
mercy,  which  ye  shall  not  have  until  five  thousand,  five  hun- 
dred years  be  past."-  But  the  angel  told  him  to  look  three 
times  at  paradise.  The  first  time,  Seth  saw  it  filled  with 
brightness,  happiness,  and  fragrance;  from  the  midst  of  it 
went  forth  four  streams,^  and  it  was  overshadowed  by  a 
tree  of  wonderful  beauty,  covered  with  foliage  and  fruits. 
The  second  time,  Seth  saw  the  tree  despoiled  of  its  fruits,  of 
its  leaves,  and  of  its  bark ;  a  serpent  enfolded  it  in  its  hideous 
coils.  The  third  time,  Seth  saw  the  tree  raised  to  heaven, 
and  at  its  summit  was  a  child,  marvellously  beautiful;  then 
the  serpent  fled.  The  angel  explained  that  the  serpent  was 
the  demon  vanquished  by  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that  the  dried 
up  tree  was  a  symbol  of  the  condition  of  man  fallen  into  sin. 
Then  he  gave  Seth  a  branch  of  the  tree  of  life,  telling  him  to 
plant  it  on  Lebanon,  and  promising  that  when  it  bare  fruit, 
his  father  should  be  healed. 

Morte    d'Arthur,    bk.    17,    what  mercy  is  ancient.    It  is  found  in 

seems  to  be  a   related   story  is  the   Second   Part  of  the  Gospel 

told.     When   Eve  came  out  of  of  Nicodemus,  chap.  19  (see  chap, 

paradise  she  brought  along  the  XXVIII  of  this  work),  and  in 

bough   on   which  had  hung  the  other  apocryphal  writings.      See 

fatal   apple.     From   this  bough,  notes  on  that  chap,  for  further 

which  she  planted,  there  grew  a  discussion. 

white     tree.     Before   Abel   was  ^According   to    some   versions 

born,  it  turned  green,  and  when  of    the    legend,    four    thousand 

Cain  killed  his  brother,  it  became  years.     See  further  notes  on  this 

red.     For  still  another  account  subject   in   chaps.   XXVIII   and 

of  this  latter,  see  Migne,  I,  col.  XXXV. 

295.  ^These  streams  are  mystically 

^This    legend    of    the    oil    of  explained  in  chap   XXXII. 


CURIOUS  HISTORY  OF  THE  CROSS        341 

But  when  Seth  returned,  he  found  his  father  Adam  dead,  (50) 
and  planted  the  branch  on  his  tomb.^  This  branch  flourished 
and  became  a  great  and  beautiful  tree.  Some  say  that  from 
it  Moses  cut  the  rod  with  which  he  performed  wonders  for 
the  children  of  Israel,  as  well  as  the  branches  with  which  he 
sweetened  the  bitter  waters  of  Marah,  and  that  to  its  trunk 
he  attached  the  serpent  which  was  lifted  up  in  the  wilderness. 
Solomon,  seeing  this  tree,  ordered  that  it  be  cut  and  used  in 
building  the  temple  of  the  Lord.^  But  the  workmen  could 
find  no  place  where  it  could  be  used;  always  was  it  found 
too  long  or  too  short,  even  when  they  had  carefully  prepared 
it  for  a  place.  So  the  workmen  angrily  cast  it  aside.  Next, 
it  was  placed  across  a  pool  of  water,^  where  it  served  as  a 
bridge  for  those  who  passed  over.  When  the  queen  of 
Sheba  was  about  to  cross  the  pool,  she  saw  in  the  spirit  that 
the  Saviour  of  the  world  should  be  suspended  upon  that 
beam,  and  through  respect,  she  adored,  instead  of  walking 
over  it.  She  told  Solomon,  that  he  who  should  be  suspended 
upon  this  beam,  should,  by  his  death,  occasion  the  destruction 
of  the  Jewish  kingdom.  Solomon  therefore  ordered  that  it 
should  be  buried  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Now  at  the 
place  where  it  was  interred,  they  afterwards  dug  the  pool  of 
Bethesda ;  and  not  alone  on  account  of  the  descent  of  the 
angel,  but  also  on  account  of  the  virtue  of  this  wood,  the 
moving  of  these  waters  gave  healing  to  the  sick.  And  when 
the  time  of  the  Saviour's  passion  approached,  this  beam 
swam  upon  the  surface  of  the  pool,  so  that  the  Jews  found 
it  ready  for  their  purpose. 

Some  say,  however,  that  the  angel  gave  to  Seth,  instead  (50) 
of  a  branch  from  the  tree  of  life,  three  grains  taken  from 
the  fruit  borne  by  this  tree.     And  when  Adam  was  dead, 
Seth  placed  these  in  his  mouth,  from  which  grew  three  trees, 

^That  would  be  on  Golgotha  at  buried  it,  as  he  commanded, 

the  center  of  the   earth,  as  we  ^Legend  here  seems  to  return 

shall    see    in   the    next   chapter,  to  the  story  that  this  tree  grew 

Legend  has  much  to  tell,  e.  g.  on  Lebanon, 

in  the  Combat  of  Adam,  of  how  ^Some  versions  say,  "across  the 

Shem    and    Melchizedek    trans-  brook  Kedron." 
ported  Adam's  body  thither,  and 
26 


342     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

the  palm,  the  cypress,  and  the  cedar,^  of  which  the  parts 
of  the  holy  cross  were  afterwards  made.  The  upright  beam 
was  cedar,  the  transverse,  cypress,  and  the  tablet  upon  it  was 
of  the  wood  of  the  palm.  They  say,  likewise,  that  David 
had  these  three  trees  transported  to  Jerusalem  amidst  grand 
ceremonies,  and  with  the  sound  of  instruments.  They  ex- 
haled a  wondrous  perfume,  and  all  the  sick  who  came  to 
honour  them  were  cured  immediately.  They  say,  further, 
that  Solomon  had  the  cedar  tree-  placed  in  the  temple,  and 
covered  with  plates  of  silver,  that  it  might  be  honoured  and 
held  in  reverence.  But  when  one  day  a  woman  came,  and, 
in  mockery,  seated  herself  upon  it,  behold,  all  at  once  her 
clothing  was  set  on  fire.  Seized  with  fear,  she  said  these 
words,  ''God  is  a  prophet,  and  Jesus  Christ  is  my  God." 
Therefore  the  Jews,  accusing  her  of  blasphemy,  stoned  her, 
and  cast  the  beam  out,  so  that  it  came  to  be  in  the  pooh' 
(n)  Moreover,  before  the  cross  was  erected,  Satan  was  eager 
that  it  should  be  so.  And  he  wrought  for  this  end  in  the 
children  of  disobedience.  He  wrought  in  Judas,  in  the 
Pharisees,  in  the  Sadducees,  in  the  old,  in  the  young,  and  in 
the  priests.  But  when  it  was  about  to  be  erected,  he  was 
troubled,    and    infused    repentance    into    the    traitor,    and 

^Other  versions  again  say  the  tain,  in  the  shape  of  a  triangle. 

pine,    the    cypress,    and    cedar.  He    commanded    Lot    to    water 

which  I  presume  is  the  original  them   every   day  to  expiate   his 

story;   they  also   say  that  these  sins,  although  the  place  was  24,- 

three  trees  grew  up  close  togeth-  000  paces  from  the  Jordan.  Lot 

er,  and  finally  coalesced  in  one  did  so,  and  lo,  in  three  months' 

trunk.     The  history  of  this  be-  time,   the   trees    had  grown    to- 

comes  the  same  as  in  the  forego-  gether  so  as  to  form  one  trunk, 

ing  legend.     The  one  that  fol-  At    the    sight    of    this    miracle, 

lows     was     apparently     evolved  Abraham  bowed  his  face  to  the 

later.  earth,  and  said,  'This  tree  will 

"Still    another    legend   of   this  destroy   sin.' "     The  tree   grew, 

tree  is  given  by  Fabricius,  Cod.  and  in  the  time  of  Solomon  un- 

Pseud.  Vet.  Test.,  I,  428.  "Abra-  derwent  the  same  adventures  that 

ham  sent  Lot  to  the  source  of  are  told  above, 

the    Nile    to    bring    back    three  ^See  Migne,  I,  col.  389,  n.  for 

sorts  of  wood,  a  young  cypress  this  legend,  which  seems  to  be 

plant,  a  cedar,  and  a  pine.      Abra-  from  a  mediaeval  Life  of  Christ, 
ham  planted  them  on  a  moun- 


JUDAS  REPROACHED  AND  REPENTS   343 

pointed  him  a  rope  to  hang  himself  with,  and  taught  him  to 
die  of  strangulation.^ 

For  when  Judas  saw  how  Jesus  was  brought  before  Pilate,  (38) 
fear  and  trembling  came  upon  him,  and  he  condemned  him- 
self for  his  shameful  treachery.^  And  in  his  despair,  he 
repented,  and  wished  to  return  the  thirty  pieces  of  money  to 
the  high  priests  and  elders  of  the  Jews.  But  these  evil-doers 
and  traitors,  knowing  what  he  wished  to  do,  together  with 
the  people,  with  one  voice  spake  against  him,  insolently 
denouncing  him,  and  placing  on  him  all  the  blame  for  the 
crucifixion.  And  they  all  cried  out  against  him,  calling  him 
the  traitor,  the  transgressor  of  the  law,  the  faithless,  the 
ingrate,  the  one  who  sold  his  master  and  caused  him  to  be 
put  to  death,  the  one  whose  feet  had  been  washed  by  him, 
the  one  who  kept  his  purse  and  gave  such  things  from  it  as 
he  wished,  who  gave  to  his  wife  and  hid  away  what  he 
desired.  Now  Judas  was  not  able  to  bear  these  reproaches, 
and  going  into  the  temple  and  finding  the  high  priests,  the 
scribes,  and  the  Pharisees,  he  said,  "I  have  sinned  in  betray- 
ing innocent  blood.  I  know  well  that  I  have  done  evil.  Take 
ye  the  money  which  ye  have  given  me  for  the  betrayal  of 
Jesus  to  his  death."  But  they  said,  "What  is  that  to  us? 
Look  thou  to  that." 

And  when  the  Jews  refused  to  receive  again  from  Judas  (38) 
the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  for  which  he  had  betrayed  his 
master,  he  threw  them  in  their  midst,  and  went  away.  And 
he  came  home  to  make  a  halter  out  of  a  cord,  to  hang  him- 
self with.  There  he  found  his  wife  sitting  and  roasting  a 
cock  upon  the  coals.^  And  he  said  unto  her,  "Rise,  wife,  and 
get  a  rope  ready  for  me,  because  I  mean  to  hang  myself  as 
I  deserve."  But  his  wife  said  unto  him,  "Why  speakest  thou 
like  that?"    And  Judas  replied,  "Know,  then,  that  I  have 

^From  Ignatius,  Epistle  to  the  mus,  there  replacing  the  greater 

Philippians,  IV.  part   of  the   first   chapter.     For 

^This  and  the  following  para-  the  Greek  text,  see  Tischendorf, 

graph — I  have  slightly  abbreviat-  p.  289  seq.     Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.3-S. 
ed  them — are  found  only  in  cer-  ^The  curious  recurrence  of  the 

tain  Mss.  of  the  Second  Greek  cock  in  Christian  tradition,  has 

Form  of  the  Gospel  of  Nicode-  before  been  referred  to. 


344     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

unjustly  betrayed  my  master  Jesus  to  the  evil-doers,  who 
have  taken  him  before  Pilate,  to  put  him  to  death.  But  he 
will  rise  again  on  the  third  day,  and  then  woe  to  us."  But 
his  wife  said  unto  him,  "Speak  not  so,  and  believe  it  not.  For 
it  is  just  as  likely  as  that  this  cock  roasting  on  the  coals  will 
crow,  that  Jesus  will  rise  as  thou  sayest."  And  whilst  she 
was  thus  speaking,  the  cock  flapped  his  wings,  and  crew 
thrice.  Then  was  Judas  yet  the  more  convicted,  and  imme- 
diately made  the  halter  out  of  the  rope.  And  going  out,  he 
hung  himself  upon  a  fig^  tree,  and  was  strangled." 
(n)  But  there  are  some  who  say  that  for  a  short  time  Judas 
walked  about  in  this  world  a  sad  example  of  impiety.^  His 
eyes  were  so  swollen  that  they  could  not  see  the  light;  they 
were  so  sunken  that  they  could  not  be  seen,  even  by  the 
optical  instruments  of  the  physicians ;  and  the  rest  of  his 
body  was  covered  by  runnings  and  worms.  His  body  having 
swollen  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  not  pass  where  a 
chariot  could  pass  easily,  he  was  crushed  by  the  chariot,  so 
that  his  bowels  gushed  out.  Thus  he  died  in  a  solitary  spot, 
which  was  left  desolate  long,  and  no  one  could  pass  the  place 
without  stopping  his  nose  with  his  hands.* 
(38)  But  the  Jews  took  the  Lord,  and  pushed  him  along  bearing 
(40)  the  cross.    And  as  they  ran,  they  said,  "Let  us  drag  along 

^I  have  introduced  the  desig-  in  hell,  are  many.  The  best 
nation  of  a  fig  tree  into  the  text  known,  perhaps,  is  that  contained 
of  (38).  This  is  vouched  for  by  in  the  Voyages  of  St.  Brendan, 
Beda,  Juvencus,  and  others.  Ac-  found  in  the  Golden  Legend,  and 
cording  to  Adrichomius,  the  tree  in  many  other  collections, 
was  a  sycamore,  and  is  yet  to  be  *The  principal  part  of  this  par- 
seen  in  a  wood  to  the  west  of  agraph  consists  of  a  fragment 
Mount  Zion.  preserved  by  Oecumenius,  and  by 

"The  text  which  I  have  been  him  attributed  to  Papias.  Theo- 
foUowing,  here  adds  a  verbal  phylactus,  quoting  also  this  pas- 
repetition  of  Mat.  xxvii.6-io,  sage,  adds  many  of  the  details, 
which  I  do  not  think  it  neces-  which  may  be  taken  from  Papias, 
sary  to  include  in  my  text.  or  may  be  his  own.     They  are 

^See  n.  regarding  Coptic  legend  strikingly  similar  to  the  account 

of  the  penitence  of  Judas  in  chap,  of  Herod's    death,   and   may  be 

XVIII.     Mediaeval    legends    re-  drawn  thence.    Cf.  with  this  ac- 

garding  the  punishment  of  Judas  count.  Acts  i.i8,  19. 


THOSE  WHO  FOLLOWED  THE  CROSS     345 

the  Son  of  God,  having  obtained  power  over  him."^  And 
thus  bearing  the  cross,  Jesus  came  as  far  as  the  gate  of  the 
city  of  Jerusalem.  But  as  he  from  the  many  blows  and  the 
weight  of  the  cross  was  unable  to  walk,  the  Jews,  out  of  the 
eager  desire  they  had  to  crucify  him  as  quickly  as  possible, 
took  the  cross  from  him,  and  gave  it  to  a  man  that  met  them, 
Simon  by  name,  who  had  also  two  sons,  Alexander  and 
Rufus.  And  he  was  from  the  city  of  Cyrene.^  They  gave 
the  cross,  then,  to  him,  not  because  they  pitied  Jesus,  and 
wished  to  lighten  him  of  the  weight,  but  because  they  eager- 
ly desired,  as  hath  been  said,  to  put  him  to  death  more 
speedily. 

Of  his  disciples,  therefore,  John  followed  him  there.  Then  (38) 
he  came  fleeing  to  the  mother  of  the  Lord,^  and  said  to  her, 
"Where  hast  thou  been,  that  thou  hast  not  come  to  see  what 
hath  happened?"  She  answered,  "What  is  it  that  hath  hap- 
pened?" John  said,  "Know  that  the  Jews  have  laid  hold  of 
my  master,  and  are  taking  him  away  to  crucify  him."  Hear- 
ing this,  his  mother  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "My 
son,  my  son,  what  evil  hast  thou  done,  that  they  are  taking 
thee  away  to  crucify  thee  ?"  And  she  rose  up  as  if  blinded, 
and  goeth  along  the  road  weeping.  And  women  followed 
her — Martha,  and  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Salome,  and  other 
virgins.*  And  John  also  was  with  her.  When,  therefore, 
they  came  to  the  multitude  of  the  crowd,  the  mother  of  the 
Lord  saith  to  John,  "Where  is  my  son  ?"  John  saith,  "Seest 
thou  him  bearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  having  his  hands 
bound  ?"^ 

And  the  mother  of  the  Lord,  hearing  this,  and  seeing  him,  (38) 
fainted,  and  fell  backwards  to  the  ground,  and  lay  a  consid- 
erable time.    And  the  women,  as  many  as  followed  her,  stood 

'From   (40.)  *Cf.  Luke  xxiii.27. 

*Cf.       Mark       xv.21 ;       Mat.  'This,  with  the  preceding  par- 

xxvii.32;  xxiii.26.  agraph,   is   found  only  in    (38). 

^This  title  of  Mary  was  used  Both  are  certainly  late  interpola- 

as  early  as  the  time  of  Athana-  tions  in  the  original  text  of  the 

sius;     he    died    a.  d.    393.    But  Gospel  of  Nicodemus. 
this  passage  is  a  later  interpola- 
tion. 


346     SENTENCE  AND  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 

round  her,  and  wept.  And  as  soon  as  she  revived  and  rose 
up,  she  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  "My  Lord,  my  son,  where 
hath  the  beauty  of  thy  form  sunk?  How  shall  I  endure  to 
see  thee  suffering  such  things?"  And  thus  saying,  she  tore 
her  face  with  her  nails,  and  beat  her  breast.  "Where  are 
they  gone,"  said  she,  "the  good  deeds  which  thou  didst  in 
Judaea  ?  What  evil  hast  thou  done  to  the  Jews  ?"  The  Jews, 
then,  seeing  her  thus  lamenting  and  crying,  came  and  drove 
her  from  the  road ;  yet  she  would  not  flee,  but  remained,  say- 
ing, "Kill  me  first,  ye  lawless  Jews."^ 

(50)  And  the  holy  woman  Veronica  saw  Christ  passing  on  his 
way  to  Calvary,  bending  under  the  heavy  cross.  And  as 
he  fell,  she,  moved  with  compassion,  went  to  him,  and  gently 
wiped  the  sweat  and  blood  from  his  face  with  her  veil.  Then 
the  impression  of  the  sacred  countenance  remained  on  the 
veil,  which  she  ever  preserved  with  veneration.^ 

(50)  And  there  was  also  a  certain  Jew,  Ahasuerus  by  name  and 
a  shoemaker  by  trade,  who  had  helped  to  secure  the  condem- 
nation of  Jesus.  When,  then,  judgment  had  been  pro- 
nounced by  Pilate,  and  Christ  v/as  about  to  be  dragged  past 
his  house,  he  ran  home,  and  called  his  household  together  to 
have  a  look  at  him  who  was  condemned.  And  so  he  stood, 
with  a  little  child  in  his  arms,  as  Christ  was  led  by,  weary 
and  fainting.     The  Saviour  tried  to  rest,  and  stood  still  a 

^This  paragraph,  also,  is  pecu-  curious   matter   on   the   subject, 

liar  to  (38).    It  is  precisely  sim-  see  Baring-Gould's  Lives  of  the 

ilar  in  form  to  some  of  those  me-  Saints,  vol.  II,  p.  "^Z-     Veronica 

diaeval      legendary      narratives  is    generally    commemorated    on 

"which  I  quote  in  the  two  follow-  Feb.  4,   sometimes   on   Mar.   25. 

ing  chapters.  In    the    strange    Revelations    of 

''I    have    given    in    this    para-  Catherine  Emmerich,  innumera- 

graph,  very  succinctly,  the  prev-  ble  pretended   details   are  given 

alent  Roman  tradition  regarding  about  this  personage.     She  was 

Veronica.     There  are  many  ver-  ihe  cousin  of  John  the  Baptist, 

sions  of  this,  and  quite  a  differ-  was  one  of  those  reared  in  the 

ent  one  will  be  found  presented  temple    with    Mary,    offered    to 

in  chap.  XXXVI  seq.  The  veil  is  Christ  an  aromatic  wine  as  he 

still  preserved  in  St.  Peter's  at  passed  along  the   Via  Dolorosa, 

Rome.     For    an    interesting    de-  etc. 
scription  of  it,  and  much  other 


STORY  OF  THE  WANDERING  JEW         347 

moment ;  but  the  shoemaker,  in  zeal  and  rage,  and  for  the 
sake  of  obtaining  credit  with  the  Jews,  drove  the  Lord  for- 
ward, and  told  him  to  hasten  on  his  way.  Jesus  obeyed, 
looked  at  him,  and  said,  "I  shall  stand  and  rest,  but  thou 
shalt  go  to  the  last  day,"  At  these  words,  Ahasuerus  set 
down  the  child,  and  followed  Christ.  Others  say  that  this 
man's  name  was  Cartaphilus,  and  that  he  was  a  porter  of  the 
hall  in  Pilate's  service.  And  as  the  Jews  were  dragging 
Jesus  forth,  having  reached  the  door,  this  man  struck  him  on 
the  back,  saying,  "Go  quicker,  Jesus,  go  quicker;  why  dost 
thou  loiter?"  And  Jesus,  looking  back  at  him  with  severe 
countenance,  said,  "I  am  going,  and  thou  shalt  wait  until  I 
return."  But  in  any  case,  this  unhappy  man  wandereth  ever 
until  the  judgment  day.  And  when  he  attaineth  the  age  of 
a  hundred  years,  he  returneth  again  to  the  age  of  thirty,  as 
he  was  when  he  smote  the  Lord.^ 


*I  have  inserted  here  two  brief 
versions  of  this  famous  late 
legend.  It  would  be  vain  to  en- 
deavour here  to  discuss  it,  or  to 
note  all  its  varied  forms.  I  know 
of  no  better  brief  treatise  on  it 
than  Baring-Gould's  article  in 
his  Curious  Myths  of  the  Middle 
Ages.  Also,  article  in  Migne, 
Legendes ;  the  bibliography  given 


there  is  valuable.  I  agree  with 
Baring-Gould  in  his  opinion  that 
the  legend  of  El  Khoudr,  see 
Legends  of  O.  T.  Characters,  II, 
115,  is  probably  the  origin  of 
this  story.  But  the  true  meaning 
of  the  legend  is  the  personifica- 
tion of  Israel's  later  history.  The 
"eternal  Jew"  wanders  forever, 
expiating  a  great  crime. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  CRUCIFIXION. 

Calvary  —  Preparations  —  The  Crucifixion  —  Gestas 
RAILS  AT  Christ — ^Dismas  asks  Pardon — Is  forgiven — 
Receives  a  Letter — Mary  entrusted  to  John — 
Christ's  Testament — Mary  laments — The  Darkness 
— Christ's  Death — ^Angel  rends  the  Veil — Earth- 
quake AND  Other  Signs — The  People  fear — Centu- 
rion reports  to  Pilate — He  calls  a  Council — Longi- 
Nus  pierces  Christ's  Side — His  Cure — Kinsmen 
stand  afar  off. 

Main  Sources:  (^36) — Narrative  cf  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  3. 

(S7) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part   I,  First  Greek 

Form,  10,  II. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  10,  II. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  10, 

II. 
(40) — Gospel  of  Peter,  10-20,  25. 
(43) — Sahidic  Fragments  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of 

Mary,  II. 

(38)  Now  the  Jews  and  the  Roman  soldiers,  leading  Jesus, 
with  those  that  followed,  got  safe  to  the  place  called  Cra- 
nium, which  was  paved  with  stone.^  Now"  the  skull  of 
Adam  had  been  found  there,  and  that  it  was  his,  Solomon 
Icnew  by  his  great  wisdom.  And  because  it  was  the  place  of 
Adam's  skull,  therefore  the  hill  was  called  Golgotha,  or 
Calvary.^ 

*This  idea  seems  to  have  arisen  'See    Mat.      xxvii.33 ;      Mark 

from  the  confusion  of  Golgotha  xv.22 ;      Luke      xxiii.3S ;     John 

with     the     Gabbatha     of     John  xix.17.    This  legend  of  the  skull 

xix.13.  is  of  Jewish  origin.    See  S.  Basil, 

(348) 


THE  SEAMLESS  ROBE  OF  CHRIST 


349 


And  there  the  Jews  set  up  the  cross.     Then  they  stripped  (3^) 
Jesus  of  his  garments,  whilst  the  soldiers,  taking  and  setting  (^g) 
them  before  him,  divided  them  among  themselves  by  casting  (39) 
of  lots.^     Now  the  coat  was  seamless  from  the  top  through- 
out.    For  Mary  had  woven  it  for  Christ  when  they  were  in 
Egypt,  and  it  had  increased  in  size  as  the  Lord  had  grown.^ 
The  soldiers,  therefore,  said  to  one  another,  "Let  us  not  rend 
it,  but  cast  lots  for  it,  whose  it  shall  be."     Now  all  this  came 
to  pass  that  the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  which  saith, 
"They  parted  my  raiment  among  them,  and  for  my  vesture 
they  did  cast  lots."^     And  they  girt  Jesus  about  with  a  linen 
cloth,  putting  on  him,  also,  the  crown  of  thorns  and  a  tat- 
tered robe  of  scarlet  ;*  and  about  the  sixth  hour  of  the  day, 


Seleuc.  Orat.  38,  and  many  of 
the  Church  fathers.  The  legend 
that  Adam  was  buried  here,  has 
already  been  referred  to,  and  the 
idea  that  ic  was  the  center  of  the 
earth  will  be  more  fully  treated 
in  the  notes  on  the  next  chapter. 
The  Kessat  Alguimgiumah,  an 
Arabic  book,  says  that  the  cross 
was  planted  just  above  the  head 
of  Adam. 

*John  xix.23,  etc.  The  strip- 
ping was  in  accordance  with 
Roman  law. 

*This  tradition  is  given  by 
Euthymius.  Similar  ones  have 
already  been  given  with  regard 
to  Mary's  and  John's  garments. 
The  alleged  Holy  Coat  is  still 
preserved  at  Treves.  There  is 
a  work  which  gives  an  account 
of  this  and  twenty  other  holy 
coats,  as  well  as  much  more  lit- 
erature on  the  subject.  See  also 
chap.  XXXVIII.  According  to 
Solomon  of  Bassora  (see  Christ- 
usbilder,  E.  von.  Dobschiitz, 
Leipsic,  1899)  :  "As  the  three 
kings    (Magi)    passed  on  their 


way  near  Edessa,  and  slept,  they 
left  behind  them  the  thirty  pieces 
of  silver  (for  which  Christ  was 
afterwards  betrayed ) .  Merchants 
found  these,  and  brought  them 
to  the  fountain  of  Edessa.  There 
they  met  the  shepherds  to  whom 
an  angel  had  given  the  seamless 
robe.  The  merchants  purchased 
it  with  the  thirty  pieces.  The 
king  of  Edessa  got  from  them 
the  robe,  and  also  got  the  thirty 
pieces  from  the  shepherds.  He 
sent  these  to  Christ,  who  wore 
the  robe,  and  sent  the  money  to 
the  treasury  of  the  Jews." 

'John  xix.24;  Mat.  xxvii.35, 
etc. 

^(38)  mentions  the  tattered 
scarlet  robe  in  this  place,  and 
(39),  the  linen  cloth,  and  crown 
of  thorns.  By  most  painters, 
Christ  is  represented  as  wearing 
the  latter  upon  the  cross,  al- 
though the  Gospels  certainly  rep- 
resent that  it  was  placed  upon 
Him  in  the  judgment  hall.  The 
robe,  in  this  connection,  is  cer- 
tainly due  to  confusion  in  the 


350  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

they  raised  him,  and  drew  him  upon  the  cross.^  Likewise 
also,  they  hanged  the  two  robbers  with  him,  Dismas  on  the 
right,  and  Gestas  on  the  left.  And  Jesus  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice,  saying,  "Father,  let  not  this  sin  stand  against 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."^ 

{2,7)      And  the  people  stood  looking  at  him,  and  laughed  at  him. 

Hq)  '^h^i^  chief  priests  and  rulers  with  them,  also,  mocked  him, 

(40)  saying,  "If  thou  sayest  truly  that  thou  art  the  Son  of  God, 
come  down  from  the  cross  immediately  that  we  may  believe 
in  thee."  Others  said,  mocking,  "He  saved  others,  others 
he  cured,  and  he  healed  the  sick,  the  paralytic,  the  lepers,  the 
demoniacs,  the  blind,  the  lame,  the  dead,  yet  himself  he  can- 
not cure."  And  the  soldiers  made  sport  of  him,  coming 
near  and  offering  him  vinegar  mixed  with  gall.  And  they 
put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  Jesus  to  drink.  But  having  tasted 
it,  he  would  not  drink  it.  And  they  said,  "Thou  art  the  king 
of  the  Jews;  save  thyself."*  But  Jesus  held  his  peace  as 
though  having  no  pain.* 

(36)  And  the  robber  that  was  on  his  left  hand  began  to  cry  out, 
saying  to  Jesus,  "See  how  many  evil  deeds  I  have  done  in 
the  earth;  and  if  I  had  known  that  thou  wast  the  king,  I 
should  have  cut  oft"  thee  also.     Why  dost  thou  call  thyself 

text.     The  linen  cloth    (around  ment ;  only  a  phantasmal  Christ 

the  loins)  agrees  with  tradition.  appeared  to  suffer  on  the  cross. 

^Luke     xxiii.33,     etc.       Most  The  Mohammedan  tradition  says 

painters     represent     Christ     as  that  it  was  Judas  who  was  really 

fastened  to  the  cross  with  three  crucified;    he    was    miraculously 

nails,  one  for  each  hand,  and  one  made  to  look  like  Christ,  and  so 

for  the  two  feet.     The  Revela-  was   seized,   whilst  the   Saviour 

tions  of  Bridget  say  there  were  Himself   ascended   at   once   into 

four  nails.     The   Prayer  of  the  heaven.     He  later  descended  to 

Virgin  at  Bartos  says  there  were  relieve  the   anguish  of  the  vir- 

five,    and    gives    their    mystical  gin  mother,  who  believed  that  He 

names,     Sator,     Arepo,     Tenet,  had  suffered  on  the  cross.    The 

Opera,  Rotas,   our  Latin  palin-  same  view  was  held  by  certain 

drome,  again.  Christian    heretics;     others    be- 

^Luke  xxiii.34.  lieved  that  Simon  of  Cyrene  had 

^Luke   xxiii.35-37,  etc.  been  crucified   in  the   Saviour's 

*From    (40),    and    expressing  stead, 
the  Docetic  views  of  this  docu- 


THE  PRAYER  OF  DISMAS  351 

Son  of  God,  and  canst  not  help  thyself  in  necessity?  How 
canst  thou  afford  it  to  another  one  praying  for  help?  If 
thou  art  the  Christ,  come  down  from  the  cross,  that  I  may 
believe  in  thee.  But  now  I  see  thee  perishing  along  with 
me,  not  like  a  man,  but  like  a  wild  beast."  And  many  other 
things  he  began  to  say  against  Jesus,  blaspheming  and 
gnashing  his  teeth  upon  him.^  For  the  robber  was  taken 
alive  in  the  snare  of  the  devil.^ 

But  Dismas,  the  robber  on  the  right  hand,  seeing  the  god-  (36) 
like  grace  of  Jesus,  rebuked  the  other,  and  cried  out,  saying,  ^^7) 
"O  wretched  and  miserable  man,  who  art  in  this  condemna-  (39) 
tion,  dost  thou  not  fear  God?  We  suffer  the  just  punish-  ^4°^ 
ment  of  what  we  have  done;  but  this  man  hath  committed 
no  evil."  And  he  reproached  the  executioners,  saying,  "We 
for  the  evils  that  we  have  done  have  suffered  thus,  but  this 
man,  who  hath  become  the  Saviour  of  men,  what  wrong  hath 
he  done  to  you?"  And  they,  being  angered  at  him,  com- 
manded that  his  legs  should  not  be  broken,  that  he  might  die 
in  torment.  Then  turning  to  the  Lord,  he  said,  "I  know  thee 
Jesus  Christ,  that  thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  I  see  thee, 
Christ,  adored  by  myriads  of  myriads  of  angels.  Pardon 
me  my  sins  which  I  have  committed.^  In  my  trial,  make 
not  the  stars  to  come  against  me,  or  the  moon,  when  thou 
shalt  judge  all  the  world;  because  in  the  night  I  have  ac- 
complished my  wicked  purposes.  Urge  not  the  sun,  which 
is  now  darkened  on  account  of  thee,  to  tell  the  evils  of  my 
heart,  for  no  gift  can  I  give  to  thee  for  the  remission  of  my 
sins.  Already  death  cometh  upon  me  because  of  my  sins ; 
but  thine  is  the  propitiation.     Deliver  me,  O  Lord  of  all, 

^Luke  xxiii.39,  etc.  that  is,  towards  Rome.    Accord- 

^Cf.  II  Tim.  ii.26.  ing    to    Augustine,    he    received 

^According     to     Gregory     the  baptism    from    the    water    that 

Great,    Dismas    had    committed  streamed   out   of   Christ's    side; 

fratricide.     According  to   some,  for  without  baptism  he  could  not 

he      was      converted      because  have     entered     paradise.       But 

Christ's   shadow   fell   upon  him,  Cyprian    says    that    he    received 

as  he  hung  upon  the  cross.    For  the   baptism   of   blood,    dying   a 

legend  tells  that  the  faces  of  all  martyr  upon  the  cross, 
were  turned  towards  the  west, 


352  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

from  thy  fearful  judgment.  Give  not  the  enemy  power  to 
swallow  me  up,  and  to  become  heir  of  my  soul,  as  of  that  of 
him  who  hangeth  on  the  left;  for  I  see  how  the  devil  joy- 
fully taketh  his  soul,  and  his  body  disappeareth.  Order  me 
not,  even  to  go  away  unto  the  portion  of  the  Jews ;  for  I  see 
Moses  and  the  patriarchs  in  great  weeping,  and  the  devil 
rejoicing  over  them.  Before,  then,  O  Lord,  my  spirit  de- 
parteth,  order  my  sins  to  be  washed  away,  and  remember  me 
the  sinner  in  thy  kingdom,  when  upon  the  great  most  lofty 
throne^  thou  shalt  judge  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.^  For 
thou  hast  prepared  great  punishment  for  thy  world  on 
account  of  thyself." 
(36)  And  the  robber  having  thus  spoken,  Jesus  saith  unto  him, 
f^g}  "Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto  thee,  Dismas,  that  to-day  thou 
(39)  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise.^  And  the  sons  of  the  king- 
dom, the  children  of  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and 
Moses,  shall  be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness ;  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.*  And  thou  alone  shalt  dwell 
in  paradise  until  my  second  appearing,  when  I  am  to  judge 
those  who  confess  not  my  name."^  And  he  said  to  the  rob- 
ber, "Go  away,  and  tell  the  cherubini  and  the  powers  that 
turn  the  flaming  sword,  that  guard  paradise  from  the  time 

^Or,  "upon  the  great  throne  of  going  out  hunting,  earnestly  com- 
the  Most  High."  mended  them  to  his  wife's  care. 
*Mat.  xix.28.  Meanwhile,  his  leprous  son  be- 
®Luke  xxiii.43.  Ms.  C.  of  (38)  ing  washed  in  the  water  in  which 
here  inserts  an  early  history  of  Christ  was  bathed,  was  made 
Dismas  that  differs  slightly  from  clean.  Dismas,  out  of  gratitude, 
the  accounts  already  given,  helped  them  on  their  way.  He 
drawn  from  the  Gospels  of  the  also  helped  them  on  their  return 
Infancy.  It  mentions  the  mir-  from  Egypt,  and  Mary  promised 
acle  of  the  palm  tree  which  bent  him  a  reward  for  this,  etc.  See 
down  in  the  desert,  and  says  Tischendorf,  308. 
that  Dismas,  meeting  Mary  with  *Mat.  viii.ii,  12. 
the  child,  was  so  touched  with  ^This  statement  is  flatly  con- 
her  beauty,  that  he  adored  her,  tradicted  by  the  developments  of 
and  exclaimed  that  if  God  had  chap.  XXIX,  which  represent  all 
a  mother  he  would  have  said  that  the  saints  as  introduced  to  par- 
it  was  she.  He  received  the  adise  by  Christ  before  his  Resur- 
Holy  Family  into  his  house,  and  rection. 


THE  LETTER  GIVEN  TO  DISMAS  353 

that  Adam,  the  first  created,  was  in  paradise  and  sinned,  and 
kept  not  my  commandments,  and  I  cast  him  out  thence. 
And  none  of  the  first  shall  see  paradise,  until  I  am  to  come 
the  second  time  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead."  And  he 
wrote  thus : 

"Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  who  have  come  down  from  (36) 
the  heights  of  the  heavens,  who  have  come  forth  out  of  the 
bosom  of  the  invisible  Father  without  being  separated  from 
Him,  and  who  have  come  down  into  the  world  to  be  made 
flesh,  and  to  be  nailed  to  a  cross,  in  order  that  I  might  save 
Adam,  whom  I  fashioned, — to  my  angelic  powers,  the  gate- 
keepers of  paradise,  to  the  officers  of  my  Father :  I  will  and 
order  that  he  who  hath  been  crucified  along  with  me  should 
go  in,  should  receive  remission  of  sins  through  me ;  and  that 
he,  having  put  on  our  incorruptible  body,  should  go  into 
paradise,  and  dwell  there  where  no  one  hath  ever  been  able 
to  dwell." 

Now  the  Lord  saw  about  the  cross  his  mother  standing,  (38) 
and  John  the  evangelist,  whom  he  particularly  loved  above 
the  rest  of  the  apostles,  because  he  alone  of  them  was  a 
virgin  in  the  body.  And  the  Lord's  mother,  standing  and 
looking,  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "My  son !  my 
son !"  And  Jesus  turning  to  her,  and  seeing  John  near  her 
weeping  with  the  rest  of  the  women,  said,  "Behold  thy  son." 
And  he  gave  John  the  charge  of  holy  Mary,  saying  unto 
him,  "Behold  thy  mother."  From  that  hour,  the  holy  mother 
of  the  Lord  remained  specially  in  the  care  of  John,  as  long 
as  she  had  her  habitation  in  this  life.^ 

And  this  is  the  testament  of  our  Saviour  and  Redeemer  (n) 
Jesus  Christ  :^ 

^John   xix. 25-27.     The   Gospel  bowing  His  head.  He  gave  up  the 

of    St.    John    preserved    by    the  ghost." 

Templars    here    has     for    John  "This    fanciful    composition    is 

xix.26-30,     "He     saith     to     His  given  by  Migne,  Legendes,  col. 

mother,  'Weep  not ;  I  go  to  my  709.    It  is  taken  from  the  Heures 

Father  and  to  eternal   life;  be-  de  Chartres,  published  in  Paris 

hold  thy  son!    He  will  keep  my  about  1554.    Of  course,  this  is  in 

place.'  Then  saith  He  to  the  dis-  no    sense    an    apocryphal    docu- 

ciple,  'Behold  thy  mother !'  Then  ment,  and  perhaps  was  not  even 


354 


THE  CRUCIFIXION 


In  the  name  of  God  my  Father,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Amen. 

I,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  son  of  my  sweet,  precious,  and  blessed 
mother  Mary,  knowing  that  there  is  nothing  more  certain 
than  that  I  have  descended  and  come  from  heaven  to  this 
world  to  suffer  and  endure  a  painful,  harsh,  and  agonizing 
death  to  redeem  poor  sinners  from  the  fire  of  hell  and  eternal 
damnation ;  wishing  to  die  testate,  whilst  extended  in  great 
torment  upon  the  bed  of  my  most  cruel  cross,  amidst  suf- 
ferings mortal  and  terrible,  in  the  fulness  of  my  divine 
consciousness,  and  in  the  plenitude  of  eternal  wisdom,  make, 
establish,  and  ordain  my  last  perpetual  will  and  testament,  in 
form  and  manner  following: 

First.  I  commend  my  soul  to  God  my  Father,  praying 
and  beseeching  Him,  that  when  it  leaveth  and  issueth  from 


intended  to  be  taken  literally,  by 
the  compiler ;  it  is  a  typical  speci- 
men of  a  form  of  composition 
that  is  responsible  for  the  ex- 
istence of  more  than  one  apo- 
cryphal piece  that  is  now  sup- 
posed to  have  been  seriously  in- 
tended. I  cannot  refrain  from 
printing  here  a  curious  Calvin- 
istic  figment,  somewhat  similar 
in  conception.  It  shows  how  re- 
ligious extremes  meet,  and  that 
the  tendencies  which  produced 
Gnostic  and  Catholic  apocrypha, 
are  to  be  found  in  the  extremest 
form  of  Protestantism.  This  is 
found  in  a  book  originally  print- 
ed in  Glasgow  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  called  the  Life  and 
Death  of  Mr.  Alexander  Peden. 
I  preserve  the  original  capitali- 
zation and  punctuation.  Peden,  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  sets  forth 
the  essential  ideas  of  Calvinism, 
as  follows : 

BE  it  known  to  all  men.  That 
in  the  presence  of  the  Ancient  of 


days,  it  was  finally  contracted, 
and  unanimously  agreed,  between 
these  honourable  and  royal  per- 
sons in  the  God-head,  to  wit,  The 
great  and  infinite  LORD  of 
heaven  and  earth,  on  one  side; 
and  JESUS  CHRIST  God-man, 
his  eternal  and  undoubted  heir, 
on  the  other  side,  in  manner, 
form  and  effect,  as  follows : 
That  forasmuch  as  the  LORD 
JESUS  CHRIST  is  content,  and 
obliges  himself  to  become  sure- 
ty, and  to  fulfil  the  whole  law; 
and  that  he  shall  suffer,  and  be- 
come an  offering  for  sin,  and 
take  the  guiding  of  all  the  chil- 
dren of  GOD  on  him,  and  make 
them  perfect  in  every  good  word 
and  work ;  and  that  of  his  ful- 
ness, they  shall  all  receive  grace 
for  grace ;  and  also  present  them, 
man,  wife  and  bairns,  on 
heaven's  floor,  and  lose  none  of 
them;  and  that  he  shall  raise 
them  up  at  the  last  day,  and 
come  in  on  heaven's  floor,  with 


THE  TESTAMENT  OF  CHRIST 


355 


my  body,  it  may  go  and  descend  into  the  places  where  the 
souls  of  the  righteous  await  my  coming  to  deliver  and  take 
them  out  of  the  said  places. 

Item.  I  commend  my  greatly  afflicted,  sorrowful,  and 
bereaved  mother,  the  most  beloved  among  all  creatures,  to 
God  my  said  Father,  and  also  to  my  loyal  and  singular 
friend,  John  Zebedee,  now  near  my  bed  on  which  I  die  in 
terrible  torment ;  and  also,  forasmuch  as  except  my  said 
mother,  I  have  the  said  Zebedee  beyond  all  other  human 


all  the  bairns  at  his  back: 
therefore,  the  noble  LORD  of 
heaven  and  earth,  on  the  other 
hand,  binds  and  obHges  himself 
to  CHRIST,  to  send  all  the  elect 
into  the  world,  and  to  deliver 
them  all  fairly  to  JESUS 
CHRIST;  and  also  to  give  him 
a  body,  flesh  of  their  flesh,  and 
bone  of  their  bone :  and  to  carry 
CHRIST  through  in  all  his  un- 
dertaking in  that  work  and  to 
hold  him  by  the  hand :  and  also, 
let  the  HOLY  GHOST,  who  is 
equal,  go  forth  into  the  world, 
that  he  may  be  a  sharer  in  this 
great  work,  and  also,  of  the 
glory  of  this  noble  contrivance : 
and  let  him  enlighten  the  minds 
of  all  those  whom  WE  have 
chosen  out  of  the  world,  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  name ;  and  to 
convince  them  of  their  lost  state ; 
and  persuade  and  enable  them  to 
embrace  and  accept  of  his  free- 
love  offer ;  and  to  support  and 
comfort  them,  in  all  their  trials 
and  tribulations,  especially  those 
for  our  name's  sake;  and  to 
sanctify  them,  soul  and  body, 
and  make  them  fit  for  serving  us, 
and  dwelling  with  us,  and  sing- 
ing forth  the  praises  of  the 
riches  of  Our  free  grace,  in  this 


noble  contrivance,  for  ever  and 
ever;    likewise    the    same    noble 
LORD  of  heaven  and  earth,  doth 
fully  covenant  grace  and  glory, 
and  all  good  things,  to  as  many 
as  shall  be  persuaded  and  enabled 
to    accept   and    embrace   you   as 
their  LORD,  KING  and  GOD: 
and  moreover  he  allows  the  said 
JESUS  CHRIST,  to  make  proc- 
lamations by  his  servants,  to  the 
world  in  his  name,  that  all  that 
will  come  and  engage  under  his 
colors,  he  shall  give  them  noble 
pay  in  hand  for  the  present,  and 
a  rich  inheritance  forever;  with 
certification,  that  all  those  who 
will  not  accept  of  this  offer,  for 
the  same  cause,  shall  be  guilty, 
and    eternally    condemned    from 
our  presence,  and  tormented  with 
these  devils,  whom  WE  cast  out 
from  US,  for  their  pride  and  re- 
bellion, for  the  glory  of  our  jus- 
tice,   through    eternity. 
In  testimony  whereof.  He   sub- 
scribes   his    presents,    and    is 
content  the  same  be  registrate 
in  the  books   of   Holy   Scrip- 
ture, to  be  kept  on  record  to 
future   generations.    Dated  at 
the   throne   of   heaven,   in  the 
ancient  records  of  eternity. 


356  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

creatures,  most  lovingly  and  tenderly  in  my  heart  and  true 
affection,  I  commend  him  to  my  said  mother.^ 

Item.  I  pardon  my  death  to  all  my  enemies,  praying  to 
God  my  Father  that  it  may  please  Him  to  hold  them  excused, 
and  that  He  may  be  willing  not  to  do  justice  or  take  ven- 
geance upon  them,  because  they  neither  knew  nor  realized 
what  they  did.^ 

Item.  To  my  companion  Dismas,  hanging  near  me,  see- 
ing and  considering  the  cordial  goodness,  good  will,  and 
true  affection  which  he  hath  towards  me  from  this  present, 
I  give  and  leave  the  eternal  kingdom  now,  henceforth,  and 
forever;  and  from  this  time  forth,  I  give  him  seisin  of  it, 
and  will  that  his  soul,  leaving  his  body,  shall  proceed  and 
come  to  me  wheresoever  I  be.^ 

Item.  And  as  it  hath  been  so  that  amongst  other  virtues, 
there  hath  been  a  particular  one  which  I  have  always  pos- 
sessed, that  is,  patience  in  tribulation  ;*  considering  also,  that 
many  for  love  of  me  shall  have  much  to  suffer ;  to  all  my 
good  and  loyal  friends,  to  all  my  devotees  and  loyal  daugh- 
ters in  all  their  afiflictions,  adversities,  and  tribulations,  I 
leave  my  treasure  of  patience ;  and,  because  the  said  treasure 
is  great,  plentiful,  and  abundant,  I  will  that  part  of  it  be 
distributed  to  all  poor  orphans,  to  the  sick,  the  languishing, 
to  prisoners,  to  impotent  folk,  to  the  aged  and  decrepit,  and 
to  widows. 

Item,  I  will  that  on  the  day  of  my  decease,  this,  my  pres- 
ent testament,  last  and  perpetual  will,  be  read  before  and  in 
the  presence  of  my  Christian  people,  for  whom  I  endure  the 
said  death,  and  that  my  obsequies^  be  made  with  piteous 
weeping,  mournful  tears,  and  agonizing  sighs  ;  and  in  recog- 
nition of  all  those  who  shall  be  present  at  my  said  obsequies, 
weeping  and  lamenting  my  said  death  and  dolorous  passion 
in  true  contrition  for  their  sins,  and  in  memory  of  my  said 
agonizing  death,  I  give  my  kingdom  of  paradise. 

Item.     To  all  those  who  heartily  forgive  one  another  for 

^John  xix.25-27.  *Rom.  v.3,  etc. 

^Luke  xxiii.34.  "Reference,   of   course,   to   the 

*Luke  xxiii.43.  celebration  of  mass. 


MARY  WEEPS  BY  THE  CROSS  357 

love  of  me,  who  am  their  God,  their  Father,  and  Creator, 
being  wilHng  henceforth  to  Hve  in  peace,  love,  and  charity ; 
from  this  time  forth,  I  pardon  all  their  offences,  crimes,  and 
all  sins,  by  which  so  often  they  have  offended  me ;  protesting, 
nevertheless,  that  if  hereafter  they  return  to  their  grudges, 
hatreds,  and  dissensions  against  one  another,  I  revoke  this 
present  article,  and  will  that  it  be  of  no  value  and  force, 
until  they  return  and  seek  pardon  of  one  another.^ 

Item.  To  all  poor  sinners  who  are  contrite,  have  con- 
fessed, and  are  repentant,  protesting  heartily  and  of  good  will 
that  henceforth  they  will  not  offend  us,  wishing  to  be  and 
abide  in  our  service,  I  will  and  ordain,  that  if  they  are  willing 
to  persevere  in  my  said  service,  in  keeping  and  obeying  both 
my  commandments  and  those  of  my  most  loyal  spouse,  my 
Church,  that  at  the  end  of  their  lives,  when  their  souls  go 
forth  from  their  bodies,  they  shall  go  home  to  me  in  my; 
kingdom  of  paradise ;  and  I  promise  to  them  my  eternal 
kingdom  with  me,  in  glory  everlasting,  forever,  without  end. 
Amen. 

And  in  token  of  this,  I  will  that  this  present,  my  said  testa- 
ment, be  written  by  four  notaries  of  our  said  court,  Mat- 
thew, Mark,  Luke,  John.  And  I  have  made  this  present 
testament  in  the  presence  of  my  well  beloved  mother,  she 
being  near  the  bed  of  my  said  dolorous  cross,  upon  Mount 
Calvary,  in  the  midst  of  the  earth. 

Signed  with  our  blood,  sealed  with  the  seal  of  our  dolorous 
cross.    Thus  signed. 

Jesus  of  Nazareth,  Paradise  street.-    The  Com- 
fort of  sinners  returning  to  his  mercy. 

But  Mary  wept  much,  saying,  "For  this  I  weep,  my  son,  (38) 
because  thou  sufferest  unjustly,  because  the  lawless  Jews 
have  delivered  thee  to  a  bitter  death.  Without  thee,  my  son, 
what  will  become  of  me?  How  shall  I  live  without  thee? 
Where  are  thy  disciples,  who  boasted  that  they  would  die 
with  thee?^  Where  are  those  healed  by  thee?  How  hath 
no  one  been  found  to  help  thee  ?"    And  looking  to  the  cross, 

'Cf.  Mat.  vi.14,  15.  rue  de  Paradis." 

Trench,  "Jesus  de  Nazareth,         ^Mat.  xxvi.35,  etc. 
27 


358  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

she  said,  "Bend  down,  O  cross,  that  I  may  embrace  and 
kiss  my  son,  whom  I  suckled  at  these  breasts  after  a  strange 
manner,  as  not  having  known  man.  Bend  down,  O  cross ;  I 
wish  to  throw  my  arms  around  my  son.  Bend  down,  O 
cross,  that  I  may  bid  farewell  to  my  son  like  a  mother."  But 
the  Jews,  hearing  these  words,  came  forward,  and  drove  to 
a  distance  both  Mary  and  the  women  and  John.^ 

(36)  Now  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  there  was  dark- 
\^ll  ness  over  all  the  earth  until  the  ninth  hour.^     The  sun  was 

(39)  darkened,  his  fiery  blaze  was  checked,  and  his  heat  became 
Y?J\  moderate  f  the  moon  became  blood,  and  the  stars  fell  down 

from  heaven.^  Many,  also,  went  about  with  lamps,  sup- 
posing that  it  was  night,  and  fell  down.^  And  the  Lord  cried 
out,  saying,  ''My  power,  my  power,  thou  hast  forsaken  me.* 
And  again  he  said,  "I  thirst."'  Then  one  of  them  said, 
"Give  him  to  drink  gall  with  vinegar."  And  they  mixed  and 
gave  him  to  drink,  fulfilling  all  things,  and  accomplishing 
their  sin  against  their  own  head.®  Then  Jesus,  crying  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  "Father,  into  Thy  hands  I  shall  commit 
my  spirit,"  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  was  taken  up.^ 

(37)  And   immediately  the   veil   of  the   temple   was   rent   in 

(38)  twain.^*'    For  in  that  hour  the  twelve  virgins  who  ministered 

(40)  in  the  temple  saw  all  things  created  change.    And  fear- 
(43)  ing,  they  fled  into  the  tabernacle,  into  the  holy  of  holies,  and 

shut  the  door  of  the  temple.  Straightway,  then,  they  saw  a 
great  and  strong  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  being  in 

'This  paragraph  is  found  only  "This  particular    is    given    by 

in   (38).    It  is  a  late  interpola-  (40). 

tion.    In  some  copies,  it  is  much  'This  version  of  the  words  of 

longer  than  the  text  here  given.  Mat.   xxvii.46,  etc.   is   given  by 

°Luke  xxiii.44,  etc.  (40). 

^These  particulars  are  found  in  Vohn  xix.28. 

Arnobius,  Against  the  Heathen,  '(40). 

I,  53.    His  account  of  the  Pas-  "Luke   xxiii.46,   etc.    (40). 

sion  has  some  appearance  of  be-  "Mark    xv.38.      See    also    an- 

ing  independent  of  that  of  the  other  account  of  the  rending  of 

Gospels,  and  I  shall  give  other  the  veil  of  the  temple,  in  chap, 

of  his  particulars.  XXXI.    This   one   is   found   in 

*Cf.  Rev.  vi.io;  Mat.  xxiv.29,  (43). 
etc.    (43). 


THE  ANGEL  RENDS  THE  VEIL  359 

great  anger,  with  a  sharp  sword  drawn  in  his  right  hand. 
And  when  they  saw  him,  they  fled  into  the  shrine,  being 
afraid,  and  exceedingly  troubled,  fearing  that  he  would  smite 
them  with  the  sword  that  was  in  his  hand.  But  the  angel 
said  to  them,  "Be  not  afraid,  I  will  not  slay  you,  neither 
shall  evil  befall  you.  Surely  those  who  are  dead,  also,  shall 
arise  and  come  forth  from  the  tomb  to  enter  into  the  city,^ 
and  appear  unto  many  men,  reproving  and  convicting  the 
folly  of  the  cursed  Jews,  and  their  shamelessness  which  they 
wrought  against  the  Lord  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  and 
of  earth."  Straightway,  then,  the  angel  stretched  forth  the 
sword  which  was  in  his  hand ;  and  he  brought  it  down  upon 
the  veil  of  the  temple,  rending  it  in  the  midst,  and  dividing 
it  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.^ 

And  the  virgins  heard  a  great  voice  from  the  horns  of  (43) 
the  altar,  saying,  "Woe  to  thee,  Jerusalem,  which  killest  the 
prophets,  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee.  Often 
would  I  have  gathered  thy  children,  even  as  a  bird  gather- 
eth  its  eggs  together  under  its  wings,  but  ye  would  not.  Be- 
hold your  house,  I  have  left  it  unto  you."^  They  looked 
again,  and  saw  the  angel  assigned  to  the  altar  fly  up  on  the 
canopy  of  the  altar,  and  the  angel  also  having  the  sword, 
both  being  in  great  mourning  and  anger.  And  when  they 
saw  all  these  things  come  to  pass,  they  knew  that  the  Lord 
was  angry  with  His  people,  and  had  left  them.  So  they 
hasted,  and  came  unto  Mary,  and  were  with  her,  in  order 
that  they  might  not  come  to  be  under  the  curse,  which  they 
had  heard  from  the  mouth  of  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who 
rent  the  veil. 

And  in  that  hour  there  was  a  very  great  and  violent  earth-  (^6) 
quake  over  all  the  earth.*    The  rocks  also  were  rent,  and  the  ^^S) 
tombs  of  the  dead  were  opened;^  the  sanctuary  fell  down 
with  the  wings  of  the  temple,  a  lintel  of  which  was  broken 

^Mat.  xxvii.53.  *Mat.  xxvii.51.    Arnobius  says 

"Cf.    the   account   of   the   de-  that   the   earthquake   shook  the 

stroying     angel     in     II     Sam.  world. 

xxiv.i6,  17.  "Mat.  xxvii.52, 
'Mat.  xxiii.37,  etc. 


36o  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

asunder.^  Many  places  in  Judaea  and  other  districts  were 
thrown  down,  and  all  the  elements  of  the  universe,  bewil- 
dered by  the  strange  events,  were  thrown  into  confusion.^ 
And  when  the  philosophers  at  Athens  were  not  able  to  ex- 
plain these  events  by  natural  causes,  they  concluded  that  the 
God  of  nature  was  suffering,  so  that  the  people  raised  an 
altar  to  this  God,  and  put  on  it  the  inscription,  "To  the  Un- 
known God."^ 
(37)  And  from  all  these  things  that  had  happened,  the  Jews 
>^  <  were  afraid,  and  said,  "Certainly  this  was  a  just  man."*  And 
(40)  Longinus,^  the  centurion,  who  stood  by,  glorified  God,  and 
said,  "Truly,  this  was  a  Son  of  God."  And  all  the  crowds 
who  were  present  at  the  spectacle,  seeing  what  had  happened, 
beat  their  breasts  with  fear,  and  turned  and  went  away.^ 
Then  the  Jews  and  the  elders  and  the  priests,  perceiving  what 
evil  they  had  done  to  themselves,  began  to  lament,  and  to 
say,  "Woe  for  our  sins ;  the  judgment  hath  drawn  nigh,  and 
the  end  of  Jerusalem." 

(37)  And  the  centurion,  having  perceived  all  these  so  great 

(38)  miracles,  went  away  and  reported  them  to  Pilate.  Now 
when  the  procurator  and  his  wife  heard  them,  wondering 
and  astonished,  they  were  greatly  grieved.    And  from  their 

^Jerome  states  that  the  Gospel  this    centurion    and   the    soldier 

of  the  Hebrews  records,  not  that  who  pierced  Christ's  side;   fur- 

the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent,  ther   to    identify   both   with   the 

but  that  a  lintel  of  it  was  broken.  centurion  already   mentioned   in 

Hofmann  shows,  p.  380,  how  this  chap.    XXIV.     For   this   present 

idea   arose    from    a    mistransia-  centurion,  the  name  Longinus  is, 

tion.  by  practically  all  legend,  given, 

Trom  Arnobius,  as  above.  and  he  is  said  to  have  been  in 

^This,  and  much  more  of  the  after    times    bishop    of    Cappa- 

same  kind,  is  to  be  found  in  the  docia  and  a  martyr.     The  name 

works    attributed    to    Dionysius  Longinus   is   most   probably   de- 

the  Areopagite,  whence  it  came  rived    from    the    Greek    X6y)(r], 

into    the    Golden    Legend.    The  a  spear,  and  shows  thus  how  it 

root  of  this  legend  is,  of  course,  originated.      For  an  unfavourable 

Acts  xvii.23.  legend  as  to  his  punishment,  see 

*Mat.  xxvii.54.  chap.  XXXVIL 

'Legend  inclines  to  give  this  *Luke  xxiii.48. 

same   name   to   and   to   identify 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  CRUCIFIXION         361 

fear  and  grief,  they  would  neither  eat  nor  drink,  that  day. 
And  Pilate  sending  notice,  all  the  Sanhedrin  came  to  him, 
as  soon  as  the  darkness  was  past.  Then  he  said  to  the  people, 
"Ye  know  how  the  sun  hath  been  darkened,  ye  know  how 
the  curtain  hath  been  rent.  Certainly  I  did  well  in  being  by 
no  means  willing  to  put  to  death  this  good  man."  But  the 
malefactors  said  to  Pilate,  "This  darkness  is  an  eclipse  of 
the  sun,  such  as  hath  also  happened  at  other  times."  And 
Pilate  said  to  them,  "Ye  scoundrels !  is  this  the  way  ye  tell 
the  truth  about  everything?  I  know  that  never  happeneth 
but  at  new  moon.  Now,  ye  ate  your  passover  yesterday,  the 
fourteenth  of  the  month,  and  ye  say  that  it  was  an  eclipse  of 
the  sun.  And  what  say  ye  that  the  other  disastrous  signs 
were  ?"  And  they  could  say  nothing  in  reply.  For  it  was  not 
an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  because  the  moon  was  then  in  the  fif- 
teenth day  of  its  course,  and  far  from  the  sun.  Moreover, 
an  eclipse  doth  not  deprive  all  parts  of  the  world  of  light, 
and  cannot  endure  three  hours.  But  this  eclipse  was 
seen  at  Heliopolis,  in  Egypt,  in  Rome,  in  Greece,  and  Asia 
Minor.^ 

Now  the  Jews  were  troubled  lest  the  sun  set  whilst  Jesus  (37) 
was  yet  alive.  For  it  is  written  for  them,  that  the  sun  set  not  ^^l 
on  him  that  hath  been  put  to  death.    So  they  said  to  Pilate,  (40) 
"We  hold  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  to-morrow ;  and 
we  entreat  thee,  since  the  crucified  are  still  breathing,  that 
their  bones  be  broken,  and  that  they  be  brought  down."^ 
And  Pilate  said,  "It  shall  be  so."    He  therefore  sent  soldiers, 
and  they  found  the  two  robbers  yet  breathing,  and  brake 
their  legs ;  but  finding  Jesus  dead,  they  did  not  touch  him  at 
all,  except  Longinus,^  a  soldier,  speared  him  in  the  right  side* 

^These  signs  in  many  parts  of  generally  confused  with  that  of 

the  world,  and  others,  are  men-  the  centurion  before   mentioned, 

tioned  by  Dionysius  the  Areopa-  is  given  at  some  length  in  the 

gite,  etc.  Golden  Legend  as  before.     An- 

^John  xix.31  seq.  other  account  of  his  end  will  be 

'This  name  is  generally  given  given  later  in  my  text.    His  epi- 

to  the  soldier,  except  that  Beda  taph  is  shown  in  a  church  near 

calls    him    Legorrius ;    Xaverius,  Lyons. 
Ignatius  or  Inasius.    His  legend,         *That  it  was  the  right  side  is 


362  THE  CRUCIFIXION 

with  a  lance,^  and  immediately  there  came  forth  blood  and 
water.^  Now  this  soldier,  who  was  one  of  those  who 
buffeted  and  spit  upon  Jesus,  had  for  thirty-eight  years  been 
troubled  with  sore  eyes.  Yet  when  the  drops  of  Christ's 
blood,  coming  from  the  wound,  fell  upon  him,  immediately 
he  was  healed.^  And  the  kinsfolk  and  acquaintances  of 
Jesus,  together  with  the  women  who  had  followed  him  from 
Galilee,  stood  afar  ofif,  beholding  these  things.* 

mentioned  by  many  writers,  e.  g.  ^John  xix.34. 

Bernard,    Innocent,    and    Bona-  ^Solomon    of    Bassora    retails 

Ventura.  these  legends,  as  does  the  Golden 

^Pope  Innocent  VI.  instituted,  Legend.     Both  call  Longinus  a 

in  1353,  the  Feast  of  the  Lance  knight. 

and  Nails.  *Luke  xxiii.49,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST. 

Joseph  asked  to  bury  Christ — Confers  with  Nicode- 
Mus — Begs  the  Body  of  Pilate — Pilate  asks  Herod 
FOR  it — Joseph  and  Nicodemus  take  it  down  from  the 
Cross — Earth  quakes — Mary  holds  the  Body — Will 
NOT  part  with  it— Laments — Magdalene  envelopes 
THE  Feet — Mary  the  Head — The  Burial — Mary 
abides  with  John — Apostles  hidden — Tomb  guarded 
— Leucius  and  Charinus  arise  and  tell  of  the  De- 
scent into  Hell. 

Main  Sources:  (36)— Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  4. 

(37) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  II. 
(38)— Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  II,  12. 
(39)— Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  11. 
(40)— Gospel  of  Peter,  3-5,  21-24,  26-33. 
(45) —Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Greek  Form, 

I,  2. 
(46)— Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  First  Latin 

Form,  1,2. 
(47) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Second  Latin 

Form,  I,  2. 
(48)— Report  of  Pilate  concerning  Our  Lord  Jesus 

Christ,  First  Greek  Form. 
(49) — Report  of  Pilate  concerning  Our  Lord  Jesus 

Christ,  Second  Greek  Form. 
(50) — Legends. 

Now  Mary,  by  means  of  John,  had  asked  of  Joseph,  who  (37) 
was  of  Arimathaea,  a  city  of  the  Jews,  that  he  might  care  ^^^i) 

(363) 


364  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

for  and  bury  the  body  of  Jesus.^  This  man  was  well-born, 
rich,  and  the  holder  of  office,  a  friend  of  Jesus,  and  also  of 
Pilate.  He  was,  moreover,  a  God-fearing  Jew,  waiting  for 
the  kingdom  of  God,  who  did  not  consent  to  the  counsels 
or  deeds  of  the  wicked.-  And  he  finding  Nicodemus,  whose 
sentiments  his  foregoing  speech  had  shown,  since  he  had 
seen  what  good  deeds  Jesus  had  done,  saith  to  him,  "I  know 
that  thou  didst  love  Jesus  when  living,  and  didst  gladly  hear 
his  words ;  and  I  saw  thee  fighting  with  the  Jews  on  his 
account.  If,  then,  it  seemeth  good  to  thee,  let  us  go  to 
Pilate,  and  beg  the  body  of  Jesus  for  burial,  because  it  is  a 
great  sin  for  him  to  lie  unburied."^  Nicodemus  said,  how- 
ever, "I  am  afraid  lest  Pilate  should  be  enraged,  and  some 
evil  should  befall  me.  But  if  thou  wilt  go  alone,  and  beg  the 
dead,  and  take  him,  then  will  I  also  go  with  thee,  and  help 
thee  to  do  everything  necessary  for  the  burial."*  Nicode- 
mus, having  thus  spoken,  Joseph  directed  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
and  prayed  that  he  might  not  fail  in  his  request. 
(38)  Then  Joseph  went  away  to  Pilate,  and  having  saluted  him, 
sat  down.  And  he  saith  unto  him,  "I  entreat  thee,  my  lord, 
not  to  be  angry  with  me,  if  I  shall  ask  anything  contrary  to 
what  seemeth  good  to  your  highness."     Then  saith  Pilate, 

'Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.57;  Mark  Western  church  on  Mar.  17,  and 
XV.42;  Luke  xxiii.so;  John  by  the  Greek  church  on  Jul.  31. 
xix.38.  That  Mary  had  asked  "Cf.  John  xix.31. 
Joseph  to  bury  the  body  of  *The  compiler  of  (38)  seems 
Jesus,  I  find  stated  in  various  to  wish  to  place  Nicodemus  in 
mediaeval  legends  which  I  have  an  unfavourable  light,  as  corn- 
used,  as  well  as  in  Codex  C.  of  pared  with  Joseph.  This  view  is 
(38),  see  Tischendorf,  p.  311.  perhaps  inspired  by  the  fact  that 
All  these  incidents  are  elabo-  whilst  all  four  of  the  evangel- 
rated  at  some  length  in  that  doc-  ists  mention  Joseph's  agency  in 
ument.  the    burial    of    Christ,    but    one, 

^Tradition    says    that    Joseph  John,   refers   to   the  part  which 

was  one  of  the  Seventy.    This  Is  Nicodemus  had  in  it.     All  these 

stated,  e.  g.  by  Chrysostom  and  particulars   which   follow,   about 

in  the  Bibl.  Orient,  of  Asseman-  how  Joseph  begged  the  body,  are 

us.     Many     other     legends     re-  found  only  in  (38),  and  are  of 

garding  him  will  be  given  later.  late   datfit 
He    is    commemorated    by    the 


JOSEPH  BEGS  THE  BODY  OF  CHRIST     365 

"And  what  is  it  that  thou  askest?"  Joseph  saith,  "J^sus, 
the  good  man  whom  through  hatred  the  Jews  have  taken 
away  to  crucify,  him  I  entreat  that  thou  give  me  for  burial." 
Pilate  saith,  "And  what  hath  happened,  that  we  should  de- 
liver to  be  honoured  again,  the  dead  body  of  him  against 
whom  evidence  of  sorcery  was  brought  by  his  nation ;  and 
who  was  in  suspicion  of  taking  the  kingdom  of  Caesar,  and 
so  was  given  up  by  us  to  death?"  Then  Joseph,  weeping, 
and  in  great  grief,  fell  at  the  feet  of  Pilate,  saying,  "My  lord, 
let  no  hatred  fall  upon  a  dead  man,  for  all  the  evil  that  a  man 
hath  done  should  perish  with  him  in  his  death.^  And  I 
know,  your  highness,  how  eager  thou  wast  that  Jesus  should 
not  be  crucified ;  and  how  much  thou  saidst  to  the  Jews  on 
his  behalf,  now  in  entreaty,  and  again  in  anger,  and  at  last 
how  thou  didst  wash  thy  hands,  and  declare  that  thou 
wouldst  by  no  means  take  part  with  those  who  wished  him 
to  be  put  to  death ;  for  all  which  reasons,  I  entreat  thee  not 
to  refuse  my  request."  Pilate,  therefore,  seeing  Joseph  thus 
lying,  supplicating  and  weeping,  raised  him  up,  and  said, 
"Go,  I  grant  thee  this  dead  man ;  take  him,  and  do  whatso- 
ever thou  wilt."- 

Then  Pilate  sent  to  Herod  and  asked  the  body  of  Jesus.  (38) 
And  Herod  said,  "Brother  Pilate,  even  if  no  one  had  asked  ^4°) 
for  him,  we  purposed  to  bury  him,  especially  as  the  Sabbath 
draweth  on ;  for  it  is  written  in  the  law,  that  the  sun  set  not 
upon  one  that  hath  been  put  to  death. "^     Then  Joseph,  hav- 
ing thanked  Pilate,  and  kissed  his  hands,  and  his  garments, 

'This  sentence  affords  a  strik-  basis  of  the  old  miracle  plays, 
ing  parallel  to  the  well  known  ^This    passage,    a    later    inter- 
lines of  Julius   Caesar,  act  III,  polation,    does    not    well    agree 
scene  2 :  with  the  rest  of  the   Gospel  of 
"The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  Nicodemus,      which      represents 

them,  Pilate   as    uniformly    favourable 

The  good   is    oft   interred  with  to  Christ. 

their  bones."  ^From    (40).     This    very    an- 

Shakespeare  was  probably  ac-  cient  document  differs  from  the 

quainted  with  some  form  of  the  evangelists,  in  representing 

Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  which  ex-  Christ   as  having  been  sentenced 

isted  in  many  English  versions  by  Herod.   In  its  proper  context, 

before  his  time,  and  formed  the  this  passage  represents  Joseph  as 


366  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

went  forth,  rejoicing  indeed  in  his  heart,  as  having  obtained 
his  desire;  but  carrying  tears  in  his  eyes.  Accordingly,  he 
goeth  away  to  Nicodemus,  and  discloseth  to  him  all  that  had 
happened.  Then  having  bought  myrrh  and  aloes,  a  hun- 
dred pounds,^  they,  along  with  the  mother  of  the  Lord  and 
Mary  Magdalene  and  Salome  and  the  rest  of  the  women 
and  John,  went  to  do  what  was  customary  for  the  body  of 
the  Lord. 
(36)  And  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  prepared  to  take  the  Lord's 
(50)  body  down  from  the  cross.^  Now  the  body  of  the  robber 
on  the  right  was  not  found ;  but  of  him  on  the  left,  as  the 
form  of  a  dragon,  so  was  his  body.^  And  they  set  two  lad- 
ders against  the  arms  of  the  cross.^  Then  Joseph,  with  a 
hammer  and  a  pair  of  pincers,  ascended  one  of  the  ladders, 
and  drew  out  the  nail  from  the  right  hand  of  the  Lord. 
Very  fast  it  held,  for  it  was  long,  and  so  deeply  imbedded 
in  the  cross  that  it  pressed  the  hand  of  the  Lord  very  close. 
But  in  good  time,  Joseph  got  it  out.  Then  did  John  make 
to  him  a  sign  that  he  should  deliver  it  to  him  secretly,  lest 
Mary  seeing  it,  her  heart  should  burst.  Likewise,  Nicode- 
mus went  up  the  ladder  on  the  left  side,  and  with  great  diffi- 
culty drew  out  the  nail  from  the  other  hand,  giving  it  to 
John  secretly.  Then  Nicodemus  descended,  to  draw  the  nail 
from  the  feet,  and  whilst  he  did  so,  Joseph  supported  the 
body  of  Jesus  upon  his  shoulders.  Mary,  seeing  this,  raised 
herself  upon  her  feet  so  that  she  was  able  to  touch  the  hands 

asking  Pilate  for  the  body,  and  expansion  of  the  Gospel  of  Nico- 

Pilate     asking     Herod,     before  demus,  being  notably  similar  in 

Christ  had  been  put  to  death.  form  to  (38),  especially  in  Codex 

'John  xix.39.  C.    and    the    Venetian    Mss.    I 

''Beginning  here,   and   extend-  note,  however,  that  these  docu- 

ing,      with      exceptions      noted,  ments    bear    traces    of    an    ac- 

through  the  rest  of  this  chapter,  quaintance  with  the  text  of  (40), 

I   have  woven  my  text   from  a  which  has  but  recently  been  dis- 

Vita  Christi  of  the  fifteenth  cent-  covered,     after     remaining     un- 

ury  given  by   Migne,  Legendes,  known  for  many  centuries, 

col.  874,  and  another  version  of  Trom  (36). 

the   same,   given   in   col.    707   of  *The    ladders    are    represented 

this  book.   These  legends  mainly  in  many  paintings  of  this  scene, 
represent   only    further    fanciful 


THE  DESCENT  FROM  THE  CROSS    z^y 

of  her  son,  for  the  arms  hung  down  from  the  shoulders  of 
Joseph.  And  she  kissed  them  gladly,  weeping  and  moaning 
bitterly. 

When,  then,  the  nail  of  the  feet  was  drawn  out,  Joseph  (40) 
descended  from  the  ladder,  supporting  on  his  shoulders  the  ^^°^ 
body  of  the  Lord,  whilst  Nicodemus  aided  him.  And  they 
extended  the  body  upon  a  white  cloth  that  they  had  placed 
upon  the  earth.  And  when  they  did  so,  the  whole  earth 
quaked  and  great  fear  arose,^  Then  Mary  received  in  her 
lap  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  Lord,^  taking  the  crown 
of  thorns  from  his  head,  and  Mary  Magdalene  took  him  by 
the  feet  before  which  she  had  found  the  forgiveness  of  her 
sins;  and  all  the  others  gathered  round  the  body. 

The  poor  bereaved  mother  held  upon  her  knees  the  sacred  (50) 
head,  and  could  not  cease  kissing  it  or  watering  it  with  the 
abundance  of  her  tears.  Sighing  dolorously,^  she  said  to  her 
son,  "Alas,  dearest  son,  what  hast  thou  done?  Why  have 
they  thus  put  thee  to  death  ?  Alas,  sorrowing  mother,  what 
shalt  thou  do?  How  is  that  joy  which  I  received  of  thee 
when  I  conceived  thee  turned  into  great  sorrow  "  Then 
she  began  again  to  kiss  the  visage  of  her  son,  and  to  water 
it  with  her  tears,  so  that  it  even  seemed  then  as  if  she  were 
about  to  die.  And  she  remembered  how  she  had  conceived 
without  sin,  and  brought  forth  without  sorrow.  How,  when 
he  lived,  nothing  was  wanting  to  her,  since  she  had  in  him 
God,  Lord,  father,  and  husband.  Now  she  saw  him  dead, 
which  was  an  evil  so  great  that  it  was  not  possible  for  it  to 
be.  And  in  great  sorrow,  she  said,  "Alas,  my  son,  the  life 
of  my  soul,  my  joy,  why  hast  thou  gone  away  from  me? 

'From    (40).    The   next    sen-  ^This   representation   is   found 

tence  in  this  document  is,  "Then  in  many  legends, 

the  sun  shone,  and  it  was  found  ^I  have  here,  and  in  a  number 

the  ninth  hour;  and  the  Jews  re-  of  places,  translated  the  French 

joiced,  and  gave  his  body  to  Jo-  "douloureuse,"  etc.,  by  the  word 

seph  that  he  might  bury  it."  Ac-  of  corresponding  form  in  Eng- 

cording  to  this,  then,  the  body  lish.    The  Mater  Dolorosa  of  the 

was  taken  down  at  three  o'clock  Stahat  Mater    seems   to  be  the 

in    the    afternoon   by   the   Jews  inspiration  of  all  this  amplifica- 

themselves.  tion  of  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus. 


368  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

My  God,  have  mercy  upon  me.  Alas,  my  sweet  son,  and 
who  shall  comfort  me  now?"  The  other  women,  her  com- 
panions, mourned  with  her  for  the  pity  they  had  to  see  their 
master  dead  before  them,  as  well  as  in  pity  for  the  sorrow 
of  the  glorious  virgin  Mary.  And  she  was  surrounded  by 
angels  from  paradise,  who  mourned  with  her  for  love  of  their 
Lord  and  for  pity  for  their  lady. 

(so)  Now  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  seeing  that  the  day  rapidly 
declined  and  night  was  near,  went  to  Mary,  and  began  pity- 
ingly to  say  to  her,  "Dolorous  lady,  be  content  at  last  to 
suffer  that  the  body  of  thy  son,  our  master,  be  shrouded  in 
these  beautiful  linens  ;^  so  shall  we  bury  him  in  the  sepul- 
chre." But  Mary,  greatly  troubled,  replied,  "Alas !  haste  not 
in  taking  away  from  me  the  sight  of  my  son,  or  bury  me 
with  him."  And  they  knew  not  what  to  say  to  that,  save  to 
beseech  her.  Incessantly  she  looked  upon  the  countenance 
of  her  son,  which  she  held  in  her  lap ;  tenderly,  she  regarded 
the  wounds  which  the  thorns  had  made.  She  looked  at  that 
face  from  which  they  had  torn  the  beard  and  the  hair, 
at  that  countenance  divine  soiled  with  spittle  and  blood. 
And  looking  at  these  things,  she  was  not  able  to  leave  off 
lamenting. 

(50)  And  John,  seeing  that  night  approached,  said  to  Mary, 
"Lady,  see  what  hour  it  is;  the  night  beginneth  to  overcome 
the  day.  Consent  to  Joseph,  and  suffer  the  body  of  Jesus 
to  be  shrouded  and  buried."  Then  Mary  remembered  how 
the  Lord  had  given  her  into  the  keeping  of  John,  and  to 
him  she  consented.  So  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  began  to 
envelope  the  body  at  the  middle.-  And  when  they  had  come 
to  the  feet,  Mary  Magdalene  said  unto  them,  "I  pray  you, 
leave  this  part  to  me.  I  wish  to  put  in  the  shroud  the  feet 
before  which  my  sins  were  forgiven."^  Then  she  looked  at 
the  feet  very  attentively,  beholding  how  they  were  pierced  by 
the  nails,  torn,  and  bruised,  and  smeared  with  blood.  And 
she  washed  with  pitying  and  compassionate  tears  those  feet 
which  formerly  she  had  washed  with  tears  of  contrition. 

*Cf.  Mark  xv.46,  etc.  'Cf.   Mark  xvi.2;   John  xii.7; 

^Cf.  John  xix.40.  Mark  xiv.8,  etc. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  HOLY  GRAIL         369 

Afterwards,  very  gently,  she  dried  them  with  her  hair ;  then 
enveloped  and  shrouded  them  the  best  that  she  could. 

And  Mary,  putting  her  face  upon  that  of  her  son,  said  to  (50) 
him  very  sadly,  ''My  dearly  beloved  son,  now  art  thou  dead 
upon  my  bosom.  It  must  be  that  I,  thy  sorrowing  mother, 
bury  thee.  But  how  am  I  able  to  live  without  thee  ?  Most 
gladly  would  I  be  buried  with  thee,  but  since  bodily  I  cannot 
be,  I  leave  thee  my  soul,  and  recommend  it  to  thee.  Dearest 
son,  how  full  of  anguish  is  this  separation !"  When,  now, 
she  had  bathed  his  visage  with  her  tears,  she  kissed  him  on 
the  mouth,  then  shrouded  and  enveloped  the  head. 

Now  when  they  had  done  what  was  customary  for  the  (39) 
body  of  the  Lord,  and  washed  him,  it  remained  but  to  put  /^l 
him  in  the  sepulchre.  Joseph  also  had  collected,  in  the 
vessel  which  the  Lord  had  used  to  drink  and  break  the  bread 
at  the  last  supper,  the  drops  of  blood  that  fell  from  the 
wounds,  after  the  body  was  taken  down  from  the  cross. 
For  as  soon  as  he  knew  that  the  Lord  was  dead,  he  had  gone 
to  the  house  and  carried  away  the  vessel  for  this  purpose. 
And  he  preserved  it  always  with  veneration,  for  it  gave  to 
its  possessor  the  privilege  of  being  in  direct  communication 
with  God.^  Nicodemus,  also,  preserved  the  linen  cloth  upon 
which  the  body  of  the  Lord  lay,  and  upon  which  its  image 

'This  sketch  of  the  Holy  tian  form  about  the  twelfth  cen- 
Grail  legend,  I  give  here  as  tury,  at  which  time  the  story  of 
found  in  Migne,  Legendes,  col.  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  who  was 
442,  also,  1,269.  The  hterature  said  to  have  come  into  Britain, 
of  it  is  voluminous.  I  refer  to  was  connected  with  it.  Druid- 
Baring-Gould's  essay  in  the  Cu-  ism,  with  many  other  religions, 
rious  Myths  of  the  Middle  Ages,  knew  of  a  mystical  vessel,  the 
and  to  Migne,  as  above  cited,  contents  of  which  were  sacred. 
The  latter  gives  some  curious  The  rising  belief  in  transubstan- 
French  versions,  and  references  tiation  would,  I  think,  favour  the 
to  little-known  literature  re-  adaptation  of  such  a  Christian 
garding  it.  The  most  famous  legend,  and  the  last  sentence 
versions  are  those  in  Malory's  which  I  have  cited  seems  to  sug- 
Morte  d'  Arthur,  and  in  the  Per-  gest  this.  Folk-lore  says,  with 
ceval,  of  Chretien  de  Troyes.  The  many  differences  of  detail,  that 
legend  is  probably  derived  from  the  robin's  breast  was  crimsoned 
Celtic  sources,  and  took  a  Chris-  by  the  Lord's  blood. 


370  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

was  imprinted.^  Then  they  placed  the  body  in  Joseph's 
own  tomb,  hewn  out  of  the  rock,  in  which  no  one  ever  had 
lain,  in  what  was  called  the  Garden  of  Joseph.^  And  this 
tomb  was  once  prepared  for  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun.^  And 
they  say  that  in  the  place  where  Joseph  and  Nicodemus 
washed  the  body  of  Jesus,  the  Lord  once  placed  his  finger, 
saying,  "This  is  the  middle  of  the  earth."* 

(50)  And  in  carrying  the  body  of  Jesus  to  the  sepulchre,  Mary 
supported  the  head,  Mary  Magdalene,  the  feet,  and  the  oth- 
ers, the  body,  weeping  tenderly.  The  bereaved  mother,  also, 
when  it  was  in  the  tomb,  so  looked  at  it,  and  to  touch  it  bent 
so  low,  that  almost  she  fell  in,  so  that  Joseph  and  Nicode- 
mus raised  her  up.  And  they  rolled  before  the  sepulchre  a 
stone  so  great^  that  scarcely  could  three  men  move  it.  Now 
this  stone  was  the  same  out  of  which  water  once  flowed 
forth  in  the  desert  for  the  children  of  Israel.®  And  Mary, 
in  great  grief,  said,  "O  friends,  have  pity  upon  me,  and  help 
me  to  take  away  this  stone,  putting  me  in  with  my  son." 

(38)  And  the  mother  of  the  Lord  said,  weeping,'^  "How  am  I 
not  to  lament  thee,  my  son  ?  How  should  I  not  tear  my  face 
with  my  nails?     This  is  that,  my  son,  which  Simeon  the 

*This  adaptation  of  the  Veron-  "This  is  a  legend  given  by  Sol- 

ica  legend  is  given  by  Nicepho-  omon   of   Bassora   from    Syrian 

rus.     Further    legend    tells    the  sources. 

history  of  this  portrait  until  it  *The    legend    that    Jerusalem, 

came  to  Turin  in  1578,  where  it  and    particularly    Calvary,    was 

is  still  preserved.     Further,  the  the  middle  of  the  earth,  has  been 

napkin  which  was  about  Christ's  already  referred  to.    That  Christ 

face,  and  is  impressed  with  His  pointed    out    a    particular    spot, 

portrait,  is  said  to  be  preserved  generally  said  to  be  that  of  his 

at  Besangon.   A  volume  recently  tomb,  and  said  that  this  was  the 

printed.  The   Shroud  of  Christ,  middle  of  the  earth,  is  repeated 

E.  P.  Dutton  &  Co.,  New  York,  by  a  number  of  mediaeval  chron- 

is  entirely  devoted  to  the  Turin  iclers.    For       references,        see 

legend.  Resch,  p.  458. 

^This  name  is  given  in   (40),  ''Cf.  Mark  xvi.4. 

suggested     probably     by     Mat.  *A  Syrian  legend  given  by  Sol- 

xxvii.6o.    Beda  gives  an  alleged  omon  of  Bassora. 

exact  description  of  the  tomb  in  ^This,  with  the  paragraph  fol- 

which  Christ  was  laid.  lowing,  is  to  be  found  in   (38). 


THE  MOURNING  AT  THE  SEPULCHRE     371 

elder  foretold  to  me  when  I  brought  thee,  an  infant  of  forty 
days  old,  into  the  temple.  This  is  the  sword  which  now 
goeth  through  my  soul.^  Who  shall  put  a  stop  to  my  tears, 
my  sweetest  son?  No  one  at  all  except  thyself  alone,  if,  as 
thou  saidst,  thou  shalt  rise  again  in  three  days." 

Mary  Magdalene  also,  said,  weeping,  "Hear,  O  peoples,  (38) 
tribes,  and  tongues;  and  learn  to  what  death  the  lawless 
Jews  have  delivered  him  who  did  them  ten  thousand  good 
deeds.  Hear,  and  be  astonished.  Who  will  let  these  things 
be  heard  by  all  the  world  ?  I  shall  go  alone  to  Rome,  to  the 
Caesar.^  I  shall  show  him  what  evil  Pilate  hath  done  in 
obeying  the  lawless  Jews."  Likewise,  Joseph  also  lamented, 
saying,  "Ah  me,  sweetest  Jesus,  most  excellent  of  men,  if 
indeed  it  be  proper  to  call  thee  man,^  who  hast  wrought 
such  miracles  as  no  man  hath  ever  done.  How  shall  I  en- 
shroud thee?  How  shall  I  entomb  thee?  There  should 
have  been  here  those  whom  thou  feddst  with  a  few  loaves, 
for  thus  should  I  not  have  seemed  to  fail  in  what  is  due." 

And  the  hearts  of  all  who  were  weeping  there  were  moved  (38) 
by  the  piteous  lamentations  of  the  blessed  virgin  Mary,  so  ^ 
that  they  knew  not  what  to  do  or  say ;  and  they  seated  them- 
selves against  the  sepulchre,  and  Joseph  said,  "Dear  lady, 
if  it  please  thee,  let  us  go  to  Jerusalem,  for  there  is  nothing 
that  we  can  do  here."  Then  the  glorious  lady  thanked 
him,  saying,  "That  which  John  wisheth,  I  will  gladly  do; 
for  my  son  hath  given  me  into  his  keeping."  And  John 
said,  "Lady,  it  would  be  a  shame  for  us  to  remain  here  dur- 
ing the  night,  wherefore,  it  will  be  better  for  us  to  go  to 
Mount  Zion,  to  the  house  where  our  master  supped."  So 
the  virgin  Mary  and  John  went  together,  along  with  the 
women ;  and  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  returned  to  their  homes. 
And  from  that  time  the  holy  virgin  Mary  abode  in  Jerusa- 
lem, in  the  house  of  saint  John  the  evangelist,  near  the 

*See  Luke  11.35.  Christ   in   Josephus,   Antiq.,  bk. 

'The  fulfilment  of  this  prom-  XVIII,  chap,  iii.3.    "Now  there 

ise  is  described  in  chap.  XXXVI.  was    about    this    time    Jesus,    a 

'Cf.    the   famous,   and   almost  wise  man,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call 

certainly   forged   passage   about  him  a  man,"  etc. 


372  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

Mount  of  Olives  ;^  and  John  took  care  of  her  as  of  his  own 
mother. 
(40)  And  the  apostles,  with  their  companions,  were  grieved,  and 
being  wounded  in  mind  they  hid  themselves ;  for  they  were 
being  sought  for  by  them  as  malefactors,  and  as  wishing  to 
set  fire  to  the  temple.  And  upon  all  these  things  they 
fasted  and  sat  mourning  and  weeping  night  and  day,  until 
the  Sabbath.2 
(38)  But  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  and  elders  being  gathered 
^4°)  together  one  with  another,  when  they  heard  that  all  the  peo- 
ple murmured  and  beat  their  breasts,  saying,  "If  by  his  deatli 
these  most  mighty  signs  have  come  to  pass,  see  how  just  he 
is,"  were  afraid.^  And  they  went  away  to  Pilate,  beseech- 
ing him,  and  saying,  "My  lord,  that  deceiver  said,  that  after 
three  days  he  should  rise  again.  Give  us  soldiers,  and  order 
his  tomb  to  be  guarded  for  three  days,  lest  his  disciples  come, 
and  steal  him  away  by  night,  and  the  people,  led  astray  by 
such  deceit,  suppose  that  he  is  risen  from  the  dead,  and  do 
us  evil."  And  Pilate  gave  them  Petronius*  the  centurion, 
with  five  hundred  soldiers  to  guard  the  tomb,  who  also  sat 
round  the  sepulchre  so  as  to  guard  it,  after  having  put  seals 
upon  the  stone  of  the  tomb.  This  also  they  fastened  with 
iron  clamps,^  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  open  it  by 
ordinary  means.  And  with  them  came  the  elders  and  scribes 
to  the  sepulchre.  These  watchers  were  Isaachar,  Gad, 
Matthias,  Barnabas,  and  Simeon.*'      They,  too,  affixed  seven 

^This  house  is  still  shown  in  XXXVII.     P.      Petronius     was 

Jerusalem.  Roman  governor  of  Syria  about 

Trom      (40).     The     idea     of  this    time,    and    the    name    here 

charging   the   apostles   with   the  used    by    (40)    may    have    been 

design  to  fire  the  temple  is  prob-  taken  from  him.    I  do  not  know 

ably  suggested  by  John  ii.19,  etc.  of  the   occurrence  of  the  name 

"This      whole      paragraph      is  elsewhere    in    apocryphal    litera- 

mainly  taken  from   (40).  ture. 

*Roman     tradition     says     that  "This    tradition    is    given    by 

Longinus,  the  oft-mentioned  cen-  Nicephorus  and  others, 

turion,  watched  the  tomb,  and  the  "Solomon   of  Bassora,   in  As- 

twelve     soldiers     who     watched  semanus,  Bibl.  Orient.,  mentions 

with  him  are  mentioned  in   Pi-  these  names  as  given  by  Syrian 

late's    Letter    to    Herod,    chap,  sources. 


MANY  ARISE  FROM  THE  DEAD  373 

seals^  to  the  tomb,  and  pitching  a  tent,  together  with  the 
centurion  and  soldiers,  they  guarded  it. 

Now  at  the  time  when  Jesus  was  crucified,  there  were  not  (45) 
only  miany  other  signs  over  the  whole  world,  but  in  that  ljg< 
terror  dead  men  were  seen  that  had  risen,  as  the  Jews  them-  (49) 
selves  testified.     And  they  said  that  it  was  Abraham,  and 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  the  twelve  patriarchs,  and  Moses,  and 
Job,  and  Noah,  that  had  died,  as  they  say,  three  thousand, 
five  hundred  years  before.     And  there  were  very  many  of 
them  appearing  in  the  body,  who  were  making  lamentations 
about  the  Jews,  on  account  of  the  wickedness  that  had  come 
to  pass  through  them,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  and 
their  law ;  and  many  others  of  the  dead  were  raised  up,  and 
were  seen  by  many  in  Jerusalem.^ 

And  among  those  that  arose  were  Charinus  and  Leucius,^  (4S) 
full  brothers,  the  two  sons  of  the  blessed  Simeon,  the  great  (^^^ 
high  priest  who  took  up  with  his  hands  Jesus  when  an  in- 
fant in  the  temple.*  And  they  were  alive  and  dwelt  in 
Arimathaea,  living  in  prayer.  And  these  two  left  behind 
the  account  of  the  descent  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  into 
hell,  each  of  them  first  writing:  "O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
resurrection  and  the  life  of  the  dead,^  permit  us  to  speak 
mysteries  through  the  death  of  thy  cross,  because  we  have 

'The    seven    seals    mentioned  acter,   see   Lipsius,   index,  s.   v. 

here  by    (40)    are  perhaps   sug-  "Leucius."     He    probably    wrote 

gested  by  Rev.  v.i.  in  the  second  half  of  the  second 

^Cf.  Mat.  xxvii.52,  53.     These  century.     Some  would  place  him 

particulars  are  given  in  (48)  and  much    earlier,    and    even    make 

(49).  him    the    disciple    of    John    the 

^These      names      undoubtedly  evangelist.     The       above       two 

represent   the   name    of   Leucius  names      have      many      different 

Charinus,  the   celebrated  author  forms.      The    circumstances    un- 

of  so  many  Gnostic  works,  and  der  which  Leucius  and  Charinus 

very   probably    of    the    identical  are  said  to  have  told  the  story 

book,    the    Second    Part    of   the  of  the  Descent  into  Hell,  which 

Gospel    of    Nicodemus,    or    De-  I  have  placed  in  the  two  follow- 

scent  of  Christ  into  Hell,  whence  ing  chapters,  will  be  told  in  chap, 

this  is  taken.     For  discussion  of  XXXIV. 

the    many   questions    concerning  *See  Luke  ii.28  seq. 

the  life  of  this  mysterious  char-  ''Cf.  John  xi.25. 
28 


374  THE  BURIAL  OF  CHRIST 

been  adjured  by  thee.  Grant  us  grace  that  we  may  give 
an  account  of  thy  resurrection,  and  thy  miracles  which  thou 
didst  in  Hades.  For  thou  didst  order  thy  servants'  to  relate 
to  no  one  the  secrets  of  thy  divine  majesty,  which  thou  didst 
in  the  lower  world." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL. 

The  Descent  begins — Hades  and  Satan  alarmed — ^The 
Regions  lighted  up — Adam,  Abraham,  and  the  Pa- 
triarchs united — Testimony  of  Isaiah — Simeon — 
John  the  Baptist — Seth  tells  of  the  Oil  of  Mercy 
— Hades  disputes  with  Satan — Who  denies  that 
Christ  is  Divine — Hades  tells  how  He  raised  the 
Dead — The  Saints  exult — The  Great  Voice — The 
Bolts  fastened  —  David  testifies  —  Isaiah  —  The 
Voice  repeated. 

Main  Sources:  (33) — Questions  of  Bartholomew. 

(45)— Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  H,  Greek  Form, 

2-5- 
(46) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part  H,  First  Latin 

Form,  2-5. 
(47) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  H,  Second  Latin 

Form,  2-7. 

Now  when  Christ  descended  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  (33) 
in  pieces  the  strong  bolts  of  Hades,  and  destroying  the 
brazen  bars,^  Hades  said  unto  the  devil,  "I  see  as  it  were 
God  descending  into  the  earth. "^     And  the  angels  called  out 

^This  paragraph,  with  the  one  the  Descent.     The  stages  in  the 

following,    is   taken    from    (33),  Descent  is  an  idea  evidently  bor- 

which    represents    here    only    a  rowed   from   the   Apocalypse   of 

version  of  the  Gospel  of  Nico-  Esdras ;    also   cf.   Ascension   of 

demus.  Part  H.     Essentially  the  Isaiah. 

same  matter  is  repeated  in  this  ^The  writer  evidently  intended 

chapter,    but    it    seems    to   me  this  to  be  taken  literally,  placing 

worth  while  to  give  it  here,  as  Hades  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
an  introduction  to  the  story  of 

(375) 


376  THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 

to  the  adverse  powers,  saying,  "Lift  up  your  gates,  ye 
princes,  and  be  ye  lifted  up  ye  everlasting  doors,  for  the 
King  of  glory  is  entering."^  And  Hades  said,  "Who  is 
this  King  of  glory  that  descendeth  to  us  from  heaven?"'' 
And  when  the  Lord  had  descended  five  hundred  steps. 
Hades  being  troubled,  said,  "Now  do  I  perceive  that  it  is 
the  Most  High  who  liveth,  nor  can  I  submit  to  Him."  The 
devil  said  to  him  in  reply,  "Consent  not  to  submit  to  Him, 
O  Hades,  but  be  of  good  cheer ;  for  God  Himself  will  by  no 
means  descend  into  the  earth."^ 
(33)  When,  then,  the  Lord  had  descended  other  five  hundred 
steps,  the  angels  and  powers  cried  out,  "Lift  up  the  gates, 
let  them  be  removed;  for,  behold,  the  King  of  glory  is  de- 
scending," And  Hades  said,  "Woe  to  me;  for  I  perceive 
that  it  is  a  spirit  divine."  And  the  devil  said  to  Hades, 
"Why  dost  thou  seek  to  terrify  me,  O  Hades?  This  is  a 
prophet  who  hath  been  made  like  unto  God  ;*  we  will  seize 
this  prophet,  and  take  him  thence  to  those  who  hope  that 
they  shall  ascend  into  heaven."  And  Hades  said,  "Tell 
me  which  of  the  prophets  it  is.  Is  it  Enoch  who  wrote  con- 
cerning righteousness?  God  suffereth  him  not  to  descend 
into  the  earth  before  the  six  thousand  years°  be  fulfilled. 
Or  dost  thou  say  it  is  Elijah  the  avenger?  Neither  shall 
he  sooner  descend.  What  shall  I  do,  because  destruction 
Cometh  from  God?  Now  is  our  departure  close  at  hand; 
for  I  have  a  number  in  my  hands."     Then  the  devil,  when 

^Ps.  xxiv.7.     This  verse,  with  Church     fathers     declare,     con- 

the  three  following  ones,  is  re-  tinues   to   be    incredulous    about 

peated  again  and  again  in  all  the  this. 

documents ;  it  forms,  in  fact,  the  *Ci.     Ps.      lxxxii.6,     7.     The 

inspiration  of  the  whole  narra-  Psalms  are  woven  into  this  nar- 

tive ;  and  I  take  it  to  be  the  germ  rative    everywhere, 

of  all  these  legends.  ^This  is  a  Jewish  idea,  that  the 

*Ps.  xxiv.8,  10.  world  should  endure  6,000  years, 

^The     controversy     rages     be-  corresponding  to  the  six  days  of 

tween  Hades  and  Satan  until  the  the  week ;  then  should  come  the 

latter   is   bound,   as   to   whether  Messiah  preceded  by  Elijah.   For 

Christ  is  truly  God.     The  devil,  details  of  this  belief,  see  Eisen- 

the  mystery  having  been  hidden  menger,  II,  p.  652  seq.     See  also 

from    him,    as    many    of    the  notes  on  chap.  XXXV, 


HADES  IS  LIGHTED  UP 


377 


he  perceived  that  the  Word  of  the  Father  was  descending 
into  the  earth,  said  to  him,  "Fear  not,  O  Hades,  let  us  de- 
fend the  gates.  We  will  strengthen  our  bolts;  for  God 
Himself  will  never  come  into  the  earth."  And  Hades  said, 
"Where  shall  we  hide  ourselves  from  the  face  of  God  the 
great  King?^  Thou  shalt  permit  me  to  yield,  nor  shalt  thou 
resist ;  for  I  was  created  before  thee."- 

Now  when  all  those  who  had  fallen  asleep  since  the  begin-  (45) 
ning  of  the  world  were  lying  in  Hades,  in  the  blackness  of  [^^n 
darkness  and  shadow  of  death,^  suddenly  there  appeared  at 
the  hour  of  midnight,*  a  golden  light  as  of  the  sun,^  and  a 
purple,  royal  light  shone  upon  them.  And  this  shining  into 
these  dark  regions,  those  who  dwelt  there  were  all  lighted 
up,  and  saw  each  other;  and  Hades  and  the  gates  of  death 
trembled.  And  then  was  heard  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
the  Father  Most  High,  as  if  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder; 
and  loudly  proclaiming,  he  thus  charged  them,  "Lift  up 
your  gates,  ye  princes ;  lift  up  the  everlasting  gates ;  the 


'CI  Mat.  V.35. 

^According  to  Jewish  tradition, 
seven  things,  of  which  hell  was 
one,  were  created  before  the 
world  was.  See  Eisenmenger,  I, 
p.  316  seq.  Yet  I  think  that  all 
tradition  is  to  the  effect  that  the 
angels  were  created  before  any 
of  these,  so  that  I  am  ignorant 
of  the  grounds  on  which  Hades 
claimed  the  priority  over  Satan. 

Ts.  cvii.io,  14;  Mat.  iv.i6; 
Luke  i.79;  Is.  ix.2,  etc.  All 
souls,  both  righteous  and  wicked, 
are  here  represented  as  having 
been  in  the  same  place  of  wait- 
ing, until  Christ  came.  This  view 
was  taught  by  Tertullian,  Hip- 
polytus,  Jerome,  and  others. 
The  Jews  believed  that  both  the 
righteous  and  wicked  went  first 
to  hell,  but  that  the  former  re- 
mained there  but  a  short  time. 


The  same  is  taught  by  the  Ko- 
ran. It  seems,  however,  from 
this  narrative,  that  there  were 
dungeons  in  hell  deeper  than 
others,  and  that  certain  classes, 
as,  the  patriarchs  and  prophets, 
companied   together. 

*The  view  here  seems  to  be 
that  Christ  descended  into  hell 
at  the  midnight  which  followed 
the  Crucifixion.  Pseudo-Athana- 
sius  says  that  this  event  hap- 
pened at  the  twelfth  hour,  or 
just  after  His  burial  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening.  Other?, 
again,  think  that  it  was  only 
shortly  before  the  Resurrectiorr. 

^Cf.  Mai.  iv.2.  Hofmann,  p. 
423,  gives  many  citations  regard- 
ing Jewish  belief  as  to  how  Mes- 
siah would  deliver  the  souls 
from  hell. 


378  THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 

King  of  glory,  Christ  the  Lord,  will  come  up  to  enter 
in."i 

(45)  And  straightway  Abraham  was  united  with  the  father 
^4^)  of  all  the  human  race,-  and  with  all  the  patriarchs  and 

prophets;  and  at  the  same  time  they  were  filled  with  joy, 
and  said  to  each  other,  ''That  light  is  the  source  of  eternal 
light,  which  hath  promised  to  transmit  to  us  co-eternal 
light. "^  And  the  prophet  Isaiah  who  was  there,  said,  "This 
light  is  from  the  Father,  and  from  the  Son,  and  from  the 
Holy  Ghost,  about  whom  I  prophesied  when  yet  alive,  say- 
ing, 'The  land  of  Zabulon  and  the  land  of  Nephthalim 
across  Jordan,  Galilee  of  the  nations,  the  people  who  sat  in 
darkness,  have  seen  a  great  light ;  and  light  was  shining 
among  those  who  are  in  the  region  of  the  shadow  of  death.'* 
And  now  it  hath  come  and  shone  upon  us  sitting  in  death." 

(46)  And  when  they  were  all  exulting  in  the  light  which  shone 
over  them,  there  came  up  to  them  Simeon;^  and  he  said, 
exulting,  "Glorify  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God; 
because  I  took  him  up  when  born,  an  infant,  in  my  hands 
in  the  temple,  and  instigated  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  I  said  to 
him,  confessing,  'Now  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation, 
which  thou  hast  prepared  in  the  sight  of  all  peoples,  a  light 
for  the  revealing  of  the  nations,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people 
Israel.'  "*'  When  they  heard  this,  all  the  multitude  of  the 
saints  exulted  more. 

(45)      Then  there  came  into  the  midst  another,  as  it  were  an 

^46)  ascetic'^   from  the  desert ;  and  the  patriarchs  said  to  him, 

^'^   "Who  art  thou  ?"     And  he  said,  "I  am  John  the  last  of  the 

'This  quotation  is  given  in  the  *Is.  iv.i,  2;  Mat.  iv.15. 

different    narratives    with    many  ''This  account  of  Simeon's  ap- 

verbal  variations.  pearance  in  Hades  is  also  given 

''(45)    merely  states  here  that  by  Pseudo-Athanasius,  Leo,  and 

Abraham  was  united  with  all  the  Photius. 

patriarchs,  etc.;    (46)   and   (47)  *Luke  ii.30-32. 

seem    to    imply,    as   above,    that  ^John  was  called  by  many  of 

Adam    also    shared    in   this    re-  the   fathers,   the  first  hermit  or 

union.  monk,    although    some    of   them 

^Allusion  seems  to  be  made  to  went  as  far  back  as  Abel  for  the 

the  article  of  the  Nicene  creed,  beginning  of  this  order. 
"God  of  God,  Light  of  Light,"  etc. 


THE  TESTIMONY  OF  JOHN  BAPTIST      379 

prophets,  who  made  the  paths  of  the  Son  of  God  straight/ 
and  proclaimed  to  the  people  repentance  for  the  remission 
of  sins.-  And  the  Son  of  God  came  to  me ;  and  I,  seeing  him 
a  long  way  off,  said  to  the  people,  instigated  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  'Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world.'^  And  with  my  hand  I  baptized  him  in  the 
river  Jordan,  and  I  saw  the  Holy  Ghost  descending  upon 
him  in  the  form  of  a  dove ;  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven, 
even  from  God  the  Father,  saying,  'This  is  my  beloved  Son, 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.'*  And  on  this  account  He  sent 
me  also  to  you,  to  proclaim  how  the  rising  Son  of  God  is 
close  at  hand,  and  is  coming  here  to  visit  us,  that  whosoever 
of  us  sitting  in  darkness  shall  believe  in  him  shall  be  saved, 
and  whosoever  shall  not  believe  in  him  shall  be  condemned.^ 
On  this  account  I  say  to  you  all,  in  order  that  when  ye  see 
him,  ye  may  all  adore  him,  that  now  only  is  for  you  the  time 
of  repentance  for  having  adored  idols  in  the  vain  upper 
world,  and  for  the  sins  ye  have  committed ;  and  that  this  is 
impossible  at  any  other  time."^ 

While  John  was  thus  teaching  those  in  Hades,  the  first  (45) 
created  and  forefather  Adam  heard  that  Jesus  was  bap-  )4d) 
tized  in  Jordan.     And  gazing  on  all  that  multitude,  he  won- 
dered greatly  whether  all  of  them  had  been  begotten  from 
him  into  this  world.'^     And  he  embraced  those  who  were 

^Mat.  iii.3.  Our  document  seems,  in  its  dif- 

"Mark  1.4.  ferent  parts,  to  share  in  this  un- 

^John  i.2g,  36.  certainty    of    view.     The    Jews 

*Luke,  iii.22.  seem    to    have    excepted    seven 

"Mark  xvi.i6;  John  iii.18.  persons   from   the  possibility   of 

'Cyril  of  Alexandria  says  that  being  released  from  hell. 

Christ    preached    the    Gospel    in  'According    to    some    legends, 

Hades  to  those  who  would  have  Adam    had    a    book    with    the 

believed  on  Him  if  they  had  been  names  and  descriptions  of  all  his 

alive  at  the  time  of  His  appear-  descendants    written    in    it;    ac- 

ance  on  the  earth.     The  fathers  cording  to  others,  God  made  all 

dififered;  from  the  view  that  the  his   descendants,  no  larger  than 

Gospel  was  preached  to  all,  and  ants  in  size,  to  pass  before  him 

that    all    were    delivered    from  in    procession   when   he   was    in 

Hades,  to  the  view  that  only  a  paradise. 

select    number    was    ransomed. 


38o 


THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 


standing  around  everywhere,  and  shedding  tears,  said  to 
his  son  Seth,  "Tell  my  sons  the  patriarchs  and  prophets  all 
that  thou  heardest  from  Michael  the  archangel,  when  I  sent 
thee  to  the  gates  of  paradise  to  implore  God  that  He  might 
send  thee  His  angels  to  give  thee  oil  from  the  tree  of  mercy ,^ 
with  which  to  anoint  my  body  when  I  was  sick,  and  it  fell 
to  my  lot  to  die." 

(45)  Then    Seth,    coming   near    to   the   holy   patriarchs    and 

(46)  prophets,  said,  "When  I,  Seth,  was  praying  to  the  Lord  at 
the  gates  of  paradise,  behold,  Michael  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
appeared  to  me,  saying,  T  have  been  sent  to  thee  by  the  Lord. 
I  am  set  over  the  human  race.^  What,  Seth,  dost  thou  ask  ? 
Dost  thou  ask  oil  which  raiseth  up  the  sick,^  or  the  tree  from 
which  this  oil  floweth,  on  account  of  the  sickness  of  thy 
father?  This  is  not  to  be  found  now.  Go,  therefore,  and 
tell  thy  father,  that  after  the  accomplishing  of  five  thousand, 
five  hundred  years  from  the  creation  of  the  world,^  then 


^See,  in  chap.  XXV,  several 
versions  of  the  legend.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly of  Jewish  origin,  but 
was  readily  adapted  to  Chris- 
tian, and  especially  Gnostic  use. 
These  sectaries  had  a  special 
fondness  for  the  use  of  Seth's 
name.  This  legend's  principal 
Gnostic  uses  are  to  bring  out  the 
antithesis  between  the  tree  of 
death,  of  the  serpent,  and  the 
tree  of  life,  the  cross ;  and  to 
provide  a  type  for  the  oil  or 
chrism  used  for  anointing  the 
sick,  and  for  anointing  in  bap- 
tism. For  references  to  other 
appearances  of  the  legend,  see, 
besides  chap  XXV,  Fabricius, 
Cod.  Pseud.  Vet.  Test.,  1, 139 ;  II, 
49;  Apocalypse  of  Moses,  Ante- 
Nicene,  VIII,  565;  Selden,  Otia 
Theol.,  p.  600. 

''Michael  is  said  in  Dan.  x.21, 
and  in  many  other  Jewish  writ- 


ings, to  be  set  over  the  people 
of  the  Jews.  Hermas  and  Ni- 
cephorus  recognize  him  as  the 
special  patron  of  Christians. 
Later  fathers,  as  Sophronius, 
recognize  him  as  the  patron  of 
the  whole  human  race. 

^Reference  is  certainly  intend- 
ed here  to  the  sacramental 
anointing  of  the  sick.  See  Jas. 
V.14,  15;  Mark  vi.13.  Anointing 
the  sick  with  oil  was  practiced 
by  the  Jews,  and  is  to  this  day 
practiced  in  the  Eastern  church. 
Not  until  the  twelfth  century  did 
it  generally  cease  in  the  Western 
church,  and  an  anointing  only  of 
those  in  extremis,  extreme  unc- 
tion, take  its  place. 

^The  belief  that  it  was  about 
5,500  years  from  the  creation  to 
the  Passion  was  generally  held 
in  the  earlier  Christian  centuries. 
A   detailed   calculation  of   this. 


SETH  TELLS  OF  THE  OIL  OF  MERCY     381 

shall  come  into  the  earth  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God, 
being  made  man;  and  shall  raise  him  up,  and  shall  wash 
clean  with  water  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  both  him  and 
those  out  of  him ;  and  then  shall  he  be  healed  of  every  dis- 
ease. But  now,  this  is  impossible.  And  when  he  cometh,  he 
will  be  baptized  in  Jordan.  And  when  he  shall  have  come 
out  of  the  water  of  Jordan,  then,  with  the  oil  of  his  mercy^ 
shall  he  anoint  all  that  believe  on  him ;  and  that  oil  of  mercy 
shall  be  for  the  generation  of  those  who  shall  be  born  out 
of  water  and  the  Holy  Spirit^  into  life  eternal.  Then  de- 
scending upon  earth,  Christ  Jesus,  the  most  beloved  Son  of 
God,  will  lead  our  father  Abraham  into  paradise,  to  the 
tree  of  mercy."  And  when  they  heard  all  these  things 
from  Seth,  all  the  patriarchs  and  prophets  exulted  with 
great  exultation. 

And  when  all  were  in  such  joy,  came  Satan,  the  heir  of  (45) 
darkness  and  prince  and  leader  of  death,  and  said  to  Hades,  S'^  I 
"O  all-devouring  and  insatiable,  hear  my  words.  There  is 
one  of  the  race  of  the  Jews,  one  named  Jesus,  who  boasteth 
himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  But  I  know  him  to  be  a 
man;  for  I  heard  him  say,  'My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful 
even  unto  death. '^  And  being  a  man,  by  our  working  with 
them,  the  Jews  have  crucified  him ;  and  now  when  he  is 
dead,  be  ready  that  we  may  secure  him  here.  And  he  hath 
withstood  me  much,  doing  me  evil;  for  wherever  he  found 
my  servants,  he  persecuted  them;  and  many  whom  I  made 
blind,  lame,  deaf,  leprous,  and  demoniac,  he  healed  with  a 

which  is,  however,  on  its  face  an  mentioned   in   the   Book  of  the 

incorrect    one,    is    found    in    the  Combat  of  Adam. 

Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   chap  28,  ^Here  the  reference  is  plainly 

and    will    be    found    in    chap,  to  the  chrism  accompanying  bap- 

XXXV  of  this  work.  Theophilus  tism.     One  must  not  forget,  in 

makes    the   period   5,698   years ;  estimating  the  value  set  upon  oil 

Julius  Africanus  and  Eustathius  in   the   legend,   the  meaning  of 

make  it  5,531 ;  and  Syncellus  and  Christ     and    Messiah,    that     is, 

Malela  point  out  an  error  of  2  "Anointed." 

years  in  their  calculations,  mak-  ^John  iii.5. 

ing  it  5)533-    The  5,500  years  is  'Mark  xiv,34. 


382  THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 

word ;  and  those  whom  I  have  brought  to  thee  dead,  he  hath 
dragged  away  from  thee."^ 

(45)  Hades,  answering,  said  to  Prince  Satan,  "Who  is  he  that 
/^^^  is  so  powerful  as  to  do  such  things  by  a  single  word,  when 

he  is  a  man  afraid  of  death?  For  all  the  powerful  of  the 
earth  are  kept  in  subjection  by  my  power,  whom  thou  hast 
brought  into  subjection  by  thy  power.  If,  then,  thou  art 
powerful,  what  is  that  man  Jesus  like,  who,  though  fearing 
death,  withstandeth  thy  power?  If  he  is  so  powerful  in 
humanity,  verily  I  say  unto  thee,  he  is  all-powerful  in  divin- 
ity, and  his  power  no  one  can  resist.  And  when  he  saith 
that  he  feareth  death,  he  said  this  mocking  and  laughing, 
wishing  to  seize  thee  with  the  strong  hand ;  and  woe  to  thee 
to  all  eternity  l"^ 
(^5)      And  Satan,  Prince  of  Tartarus,  said,  "O  all-devouring 

(46)  and  insatiable  Hades,  art  thou  so  afraid  of  hearing  of  our 
common  enemy?  Why  hast  thou  doubted  and  feared  to 
receive  this  Jesus,  thy  adversary  and  mine?  For  I  have 
tempted  him,  and  I  have  raised  up  my  ancient  people  the 
Jews^  with  hatred  and  anger  against  him ;  I  have  sharpened 
a  lance  to  strike  him ;  I  have  mixed  gall  and  vinegar*  to 
give  him  to  drink ;  and  I  have  prepared  wood  to  crucify 
him,  and  nails  to  pierce  him ;  and  his  death  is  near  at  hand, 
that  I  may  bring  him  to  thee,  subject  to  thee  and  me.^  Make 
ready,  then,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  lay  fast  hold  upon 
him  when  he  cometh." 

^Many  of  the   Church   fathers  them  as  a  mockery  of  Satan,  and 

take  this  view,  that  the  divinity  a    snare    to    compass    his    over- 

of     Christ     was     hidden     from  throw. 

Satan,  who  believed  him  to  be  ^Perhaps  an  indication  of  the 
a  man.  They  supported  this  by  Gnostic,  and  particularly  Mar- 
such  passages  as,  Eph.  iii.9,  and  cionite  origin  of  this  document. 
I  Pet.  i.i2.  Marcion    identified    the    God   of 

^This  sentence  reveals  the  rea-  the  Jews  with  Satan, 

son  for  the  invention  of  this  part  *Mat.  xxvii.34. 

of  the  legend.     Celsus,  perhaps  "Certainly    John    xiii.2    and    I 

others,  had  charged  Christ  with  Cor.  ii.8  uphold  the  above  view, 

cowardice,  because   He  had   ut-  that    the    Crucifixion   of    Christ 

tered  the  words  above  quoted  by  was  the  work  of  the  devil. 
Satan.    The  writer  thus  explains 


SATAN  AND  HADES  WRANGLE  383 

Hades  answered,  "Heir  of  darkness,  son  of  destruction/  (45) 
devil,  thou  hast  just  now  told  me  that  many  whom  thou  \jy\ 
hadst  made  ready  to  be  buried,  he  brought  to  life  again  by 
a  single  word ;  that  it  is  he  himself  who  hath  dragged  away 
the  dead  from  me.  And  if  he  hath  delivered  others  from 
the  tomb,  how  and  with  what  power  shall  he  be  laid  hold  of 
by  us?  Now  there  are  many  who  are  here  kept  by  me, 
who,  while  they  lived  on  earth,  took  the  dead  from  me,  not 
by  their  own  powers,  but  by  godly  prayers ;  and  their  al- 
mighty God  dragged  them  away  from  me.  Who  is  that 
Jesus,  who  by  his  word  hath  withdrawn  the  dead  from  me 
without  prayers?  For  I  not  long  ago  swallowed  down  one 
dead,  Lazarus  by  name ;  and  not  long  after,  one  of  the  living 
by  a  single  word  dragged  him  up  by  force  out  of  my  bowels 
after  he  had  been  four  days  in  stench  and  corruption ;  and 
I  think  it  was  he  of  whom  thou  speakest."  Satan  answered, 
and  said,  "That  Jesus  is  the  same."  And  when  Hades 
heard  this,  he  said  to  him,  "If,  therefore,  we  receive  him 
here,  I  am  afraid  lest  perchance  we  be  in  danger  even  about 
the  rest.  For  lo,  all  those  that  I  have  swallowed  from 
eternity,  I  perceive  to  be  in  commotion,  and  I  am  pained  in 
my  belly.^  And  the  snatching  away  of  Lazarus  beforehand 
seemeth  to  me  to  be  no  good  sign ;  for,  not  like  a  dead  body, 
but  like  an  eagle,  he  flew  out  of  me,  so  suddenly  did  the 
earth  throw  him  out.  Wherefore  I  also  adjure  even  thee, 
for  thy  benefit  and  for  mine,  not  to  bring  him  here.  For 
I,  at  the  time  when  I  heard  the  command  of  his  voice, 
trembled  with  terror  and  dismay;  and  my  officers  at  the 
same  time  were  confounded  along  with  me.  And  I  think 
that  he  is  coming  here  to  raise  all  the  dead.  And  this  I 
tell  thee  by  the  darkness^  in  which  we  live ;  if  thou  bring 
him  here,  not  one  of  the  dead  will  be  left  behind  in  it  to  me. 
For  I  know  that  that  man  who  could  do  these  things  is  God, 
strong  in  authority,  powerful  in  humanity,  and  he  is  the 
Saviour  of  the  human  race.  But  if  thou  bring  him  to  me, 
all  who  are  here  shut  up  in  the  cruelty  of  the  prison,  and 

'Cf.  John  xvii.12;  II  Thes.  ii.3.  Tor  a  strong  figure  as  to  the 

"Cf.  Jonah  ii.2 ;  Ecclus.  li.5.         darkness  of  Hades,  see  Job  x.22. 


384  THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 

bound  by  their  sins  in  chains^  that  cannot  be  loosened,  he 
will  let  loose,  and  will  bring  to  the  life  of  his  divinity  for- 
ever." 
(45)      While  Satan  and  Hades  were  thus  speaking  to  each  other, 
fl?)  ^^^  ^^^^  saints  of  God  heard  their  wranglings.     They,  how- 
ever, though  as  yet  not  at  all  recognizing  each  other,  were, 
notwithstanding,  in  the  possession  of  their  faculties.^     But 
our  holy  father  Adam  thus  replied  to  Satan  at  once,  "O 
captain  of  death,  why  dost  thou  fear  and  tremble^     Behold, 
the  Lord  cometh,  who  will  now  destroy  all  thy  inventions ; 
and  thou  shalt  be  taken  by  him,  and  be  bound  through  all 
eternity."     And  all  the   saints,   hearing  the  voice  of  our 
father  Adam,  how  boldly  he  replied  to  Satan  in  all  points, 
were   strengthened   in   joy;   and   all    running   together   to 
father  Adam,  were  crowded  in  one  place. 
(45)      And  suddenly  there  was  a  great  voice  as  of  thunders,' 
>4^<  and  a  shouting  of  spirits,  "Lift  up  your  gates,  ye  princes, 
and  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,*  and  the  King  of 
glory,  Christ  the  Lord,  shall  come  in."     Then   Satan  the 
leader  of  death  came  up,  fleeing  in  terror.     And  Hades, 
hearing  this,  said  to  Prince  Satan,  "Retire  from  me,  and  go 
outside  of  my  realms ;  if  thou  art  a  powerful  warrior,  fight 
against  the  King  of  glory.     But  what  hast  thou  to  do  with 
him?"     And   Hades   thrust   Satan   outside   of  his   realms. 
(45)      And  Hades  said  to  his  impious  officers,  "My  officers  and 
^46)  all  the  powers  below,  run  together,  shut  your  cruel  gates 
of  brass,  secure  well  and  strongly  the  iron  bars,^  and  attend 

'Cf.    Ps.   lxviii.6.  'Cf.  Rev.  xiv.2. 

''This  passage  occurs  in  (47),  *The  conception  of  hell  as  a 
and  perhaps  should  have  been  in-  room  closed  by  doors,  etc.  is  up- 
troduced  at  the  point  in  this  held  by  many  scriptural  pas- 
chapter  where  Adam  speaks  to  sages,  such  as,  Job.  xvii.i6; 
Seth.  It  may  be  reconciled  with  xxxviii.17;  Ps.  ix.13;  Is. 
its  position  here,  however,  by  xxxviii.io;  Mat.  xvi.18;  Rev. 
assuming  that  Adam  was  at  the  i.i8;  ix.i ;  xx.i.  The  Moham- 
earlier  point  united  only  to  the  medans  say  there  are  seven 
patriarchs  and  prophets,  but  was  doors  to  it,  and  similar  ideas  are 
here  united  to  the  great  body  of  found  in  classical  mythology, 
the  saints.  "Ps.  cvii.i6. 


THE  BOLTS  AND  LOCKS  FASTENED   385 

to  the  bolts ;  fight  bravely  and  resist,  lest  they  lay  hold  of  us, 
and  keep  us  captive  in  chains,  that  he  holding  captivity 
may  not  be  taken  captive.^  For  if  he  cometh  here,  woe  will 
seize  us."  Then  all  his  impious  officers  were  perplexed, 
and  began  to  shut  the  gates  of  death  with  all  diligence,  and 
by  little  and  little  to  fasten  the  locks  and  the  iron  bars,  and 
to  hold  all  their  weapons  grasped  in  their  hands,  and  to 
utter  bowlings  in  a  direful  and  most  hideous  voice.  And 
the  forefathers,  with  all  the  multitude  of  the  saints,  having 
heard  this,  began  all  to  revile  Hades,  saying  with  the  voice 
of  reproach,  "O  all-devouring  and  insatiable,  open  thy  gates 
that  the  King  of  glory  may  come  in." 

After  that,  another  standing  there,  preeminent  as  it  were,  (4S) 
with  a  certain  mark  of  an  emperor,  David  by  name,  thus  /|-\ 
cried  out,  and  said,  "When  I  was  upon  earth,  I  made  revela- 
tions to  the  people,  of  the  mercy  of  God  and  His  visitation, 
prophesying  future  joys,  saying  through  all  ages,  'Let  us 
make  confession  to  the  Lord  of  His  tender  mercy,  and  His 
wonderful  works  to  the  sons  of  men ;  because  He  hath  shat- 
tered the  gates  of  brass,  and  broken  the  bars  of  iron.  He 
hath  taken  them  up  out  of  the  way  of  their  iniquity.'  "^ 
Then  the  holy  patriarchs  and  prophets  began  mutually  to 
recognize  each  other,  and  each  to  quote  his  prophecies. 
Then  holy  Jeremiah,  examining  his  prophecies,  said  to  the 
patriarchs  and  prophets,  "When  I  was  upon  earth,  I  prophe- 
sied of  the  Son  of  God,  that  he  was  seen  upon  earth,  and 
dwelt  with  men."  And  after  this,  in  like  manner  Isaiah 
said,  "Did  not  I  when  I  was  alive  upon  earth,  prophesy  to 
you,  'The  dead  shall  rise  up,  and  all  those  who  are  in  their 
tombs  shall  rise  again,  and  those  who  are  upon  earth 
shall  exult ;  because  the  dew  which  is  from  the  Lord  is  their 
health?'^  And  again  I  said,  'Where,  O  death,  is  thy  sting? 
Where,  O  Hades,  is  thy  victory  ?'  "* 

^Ps.  lxviii.18;  Eph.  iv.8.  that    God,    at    the    resurrection, 

"Ps.  cvii.  15-17,  according  to  the  should    raise    the    dead    by    a 

Septuagint.  quickening  dew   from  heaven. 

°Is.   xxvi.19,   according  to  the  *The  author  here  makes  Isaiah 

Septuagint.     The  Jews  believed  claim  Hos.  xiii.14  as  his  own; 


386  THE  DESCENT  INTO  HELL 

(45)  And  when  all  the  saints  heard  this  from  Isaiah,  they  said 
(^-j  to  Hades,  "Open  thy  gates.  Since  thou  art  now  conquered, 
thou  wilt  be  weak  and  powerless."  And  there  was  a  great 
voice  again,  as  of  thunders,  saying,  "Lift  up  your  gates,  ye 
princes,  and  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  infernal  gates ;  and  the  King 
of  glory  shall  come  in."  Hades,  seeing  that  they  had  twice 
shouted  out  this,  saith,  as  if  not  knowing,  "Who  is  this  King 
of  glory?"  The  angels  of  the  Lord  say,  "The  Lord  strong 
and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in  battle."^  David  saith  in 
answer  to  Hades,  "I  recognize  those  words  of  the  shout, 
since  I  prophesied  the  same  by  His  Spirit.  And  now  what 
I  have  said  above,  I  say  to  thee,  'The  Lord  strong  and 
mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in  battle ;  he  is  the  King  of  glory.' 
'And  the  Lord  Himself  hath  looked  down  from  heaven  upon 
earth,  to  hear  the  groans  of  the  prisoners,  and  to  release  the 
sons  of  the  slain.^  And  now  most  filthy  and  most  foul 
Hades,  open  the  gates,  that  the  King  of  glory  may  come  in." 

also,  see  I  Cor.  xv.55  which  is         ^Ps.  xxiv.8. 
verbally  quoted;  Is.  xxv.8  con-         ^Ps.  cii.19,  20. 
tains  a  similar  expression,  which 
perhaps  occasioned  the  error. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

CHRIST  DELIVERS  THE  FATHERS. 

Christ  enters — Hades  opened  and  lighted  up — Its 
Keepers  fear  and  question  Christ — Christ  binds 
Satan  and  delivers  him  to  Hades — Who  reproaches 

AND   reviles   him — ChRIST   BLESSES   THE   SaINTS AdAM 

AND  THE  Saints  adore  Him — Christ  sets  His  Cross  in 
Hades — The  Saints  sing  Praises — Christ  brings 
them  to  Paradise — They  meet  Enoch,  Elijah,  and 
DiSMAS — The  Injunctions  to  Charinus  and  Leucius. 

Main  Sources:  (33) — Questions  of  Bartholomew. 

(45) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Greek  Form, 

(46) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part  II,  First  Latin 

Form,  5-1 1. 
(47) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Second  Latin 

Form,  7-1 1. 

And,  behold,  suddenly  Hades  trembled,  and  the  brazen  (33) 
gates  of  death  were  destroyed ;  the  bolts  were  shattered,  the  (^g) 
iron  bars  were  broken,  falling  to  the  ground,  and  the  indis-  (47) 
soluble  chains  were  burst  asunder.     Everything  was  laid 
open,  and  all  the  dark  places  of  Hades  were  lighted  up. 
And,  behold,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  coming  in  the  form  of 
a  man,^  in  the  brightness  of  light  from  on  high,  compassion- 
ate, great,  and  lowly,  carrying  a  chain  in  his  hand.-     And 
the  aid  of  unconquered  power  visited  those  sitting  in  the 

^Apparently  this  indicates  that  mained  still  in  the  tomb.     This 

only  the  soul  or  spirit  of  Christ  is  the  general  view  of  the  fath- 

descended   into  hell,  taking  the  ers. 
form  of  a  man;  His  body  re-         *Cf.  Rev.  xx.i. 

(387) 


388  CHRIST  DELIVERS  THE  FATHERS 

profound  darkness  of  transgressions,  and  in  the  shadow  of 
death  of  sins.  And  all  the  dead  who  had  been  bound  came 
out  of  the  prisons. 

(45)  When  this  was  seen  by  Hades  and  Death,  and  their  im- 
^4°^  pious  officers,  along  with  their  cruel  servants,  they  trembled 

at  perceiving  in  their  own  dominions  the  clearness  of  so 
great  a  light  when  they  saw  Christ  so  suddenly  in  their 
abodes ;  and  they  cried  out,  saying,  "We  have  been  over- 
come by  thee.  Woe  to  us !  Who  art  thou  that  to  the  Lord 
directest  our  confusion?^  Who  art  thou,  that,  undestroyed 
by  corruption,  the  uncorrupted  proof  of  thy  majesty,  with 
fury  condemnest  our  power?  Who  art  thou,  so  great  and 
little,  lowly  and  exalted,  soldier  and  commander,  wonderful 
warrior  in  the  form  of  a  slave,  and  the  King  of  glory,  dead 
and  alive,^  whom  slain  the  cross  hath  carried?  Thou  who 
wast  nailed  to  the  cross,  and  didst  lie  dead  in  the  sepulchre, 
hast  come  down  to  us  alive ;  and  in  thy  death  every  creature 
trembled,  and  the  stars  in  a  body  were  moved ;  and  now 
thou  hast  been  made  free  among  the  dead,^  and  destroyest 
our  legions.  Who  art  thou  that  comest  here  without  sin, 
that  settest  free  those  who  are  held  captive,  bound  by  orig- 
inal sin,*  and  recallest  them  to  their  former  liberty?  Who 
art  thou,  who  sheddest  a  divine  and  splendid,  and  illuminat- 
ing light  upon  those  who  have  been  blinded  by  the  darkness 
of  their  sins,  and  hast  destroyed  all  our  power?  Art  thou, 
then,  that  Jesus  about  whom  the  chief  satrap  Satan  told  us, 
that  through  cross  and  death  thou  art  to  inherit  the  whole 
world?" 

(46)  In  like  manner,  also,  all  the  legions  of  the  demons, 
terror-stricken  with  like  fear  from  their  frightful  overthrow, 
cried  out,  saying,  "Whence  art  thou,  O  Jesus,  a  man  so 
powerful  and  splendid  in  majesty,  so  excellent,  without  spot, 

^Possibly  the  meaning  is, "Who  (46).     The  idea  that  the  saints 

art  thou  that  bringest  confusion  were  detained  in  Hades  on  ac- 

upon  our  lord?"  count  of  original  sin,  seems  to 

^Cf.  Rev.  i.i8;  ii.8.  have  arisen  after  the  time  of  Au- 

^Ps.  lxxxviii.5.  gustine. 

*This  expression  is   found  in 


CHRIST  BINDS  AND  WOUNDS  SATAN     389 

and  free  from  guilt?  For  that  world  of  earth  which  hath 
always  been  subject  to  us  until  now,  which  used  to  pay 
tribute  for  our  uses,  hath  never  sent  us  such  a  dead  man ; 
hath  never  destined  such  gifts^  for  the  man  below.  Who, 
therefore,  art  thou,  that  hast  so  intrepidly  entered  our 
bounds,  and  who  hast  not  only  no  fear  of  our  punishments, 
but,  moreover,  attemptest  to  take  all  away  from  our 
chains?" 

Then  the  King  of  glory,  trampling  on  Death  by  his  (33) 
majesty,  seized  the  chief  satrap  Satan  by  the  head,  and  tor-  ^4S) 
mented  him  with  a  hundred  wounds,^  And  binding  him  (47) 
by  the  neck  with  the  great  chain  that  cannot  be  loosed,  and 
again  tying  his  hands  behind  him,  he  dashed  him  on  his  back 
into  Tartarus,  and  placed  his  holy  foot  on  his  throat,  say- 
ing, "Through  all  ages  thou  hast  done  many  evils;  thou 
hast  not  in  any  wise  rested ;  to-day,  I  deliver  thee  to  ever- 
lasting fire."^  And  Hades  being  suddenly  summoned,  he 
commanded  him,  and  said,  "Take  this  most  wicked  and  im- 
pious one,  and  have  him  in  thy  keeping,  even  to  that  day 
which  I  shall  command  thee,  my  second  appearing.*  Satan 
the  prince  will  be  in  thy  power  for  ever,  in  place  of  Adam 
and  his  sons,  my  just  ones."  And  Hades,  as  soon  as  he 
received  Satan,  was  plunged  under  the  feet  of  the  Lord 
along  with  him  into  the  depth  of  the  abyss. 

Then  Hades,  having  received  Prince  Satan,  said  to  fiim  (45) 
with  vehement  revilings,  "O  prince  of  perdition,  and  leader  (46) 
of  extermination,  Beelzebub,  derision  of  angels,  to  be  spit 
upon  by  the  just;  why  didst  thou  wish  to  do  this?  Didst 
thou  wish  to  crucify  the  King  of  glory,  in  whose  death  thou 
didst  promise  so  great  spoils?  Like  a  fool,  thou  didst  not 
know  what  thou  wast  doing.^  For,  behold,  that  Jesus  by  the 
splendour  of  his  death,  is  putting  to  flight  all  the  darkness 

'Cf.  Ps.  lxviii.18.  ond  coming  of  Christ. 

^From  (33).    Cf.  Gen.  iii.iS.  "The  idea  that   Satan  was  in 

'See  Rev.  xx.2,  3.  some  way  a  dupe  in  the  course 

*It    is   evident   that   the   apoc-  of  the  scheme  of  redemption,  is 

ryphal    writer   must    here   place  one    that   has   many   manifesta- 

the  millennium  before  the  sec-  tions  in  theology. 
29 


390        CHRIST  DELIVERS  THE  FATHERS 

of  death,  and  fie  hath  broken  into  the  strong  lowest  depths 
of  our  dungeons,  and  hath  brought  out  all  the  captives,  and 
released  those  who  were  bound.^  And  all  who  used  to  groan 
under  our  torments,  insult  us;  and  by  their  prayers  our 
dominions  are  taken  by  storm,  and  our  realms  conquered ; 
and  no  race  of  men  hath  now  any  respect  for  us.  Moreover, 
also,  we  are  grievously  threatened  by  the  dead,  who  have 
never  been  haughty  to  us,  and  who  have  not  at  any  time 
been  joyful  as  captives.  O  Prince  Satan,  father  of  all  im- 
pious wretches  and  renegades,  why  didst  thou  wish  to  do 
this  ?  Of  those  who  from  the  beginning,  even  until  now,  have 
despaired  of  salvation  and  light,  no  bellowing  after  the  usual 
fashion  is  now  heard  here;  and  no  groaning  of  theirs  re- 
soundeth,  nor  in  any  of  their  faces  is  a  trace  of  tears  found. 
O  Prince  Satan,  possessor  of  the  keys  of  the  lower  regions, 
all  the  riches  which  thou  hast  acquired  by  the  tree  of  trans- 
gression and  the  loss  of  paradise,  thou  hast  now  lost  by  the 
tree  of  the  cross,  and  all  thy  joy  hath  perished.^  When  thou 
didst  hang  up  that  Christ  Jesus  the  King  of  glory,  thou 
wast  acting  against  thyself  and  against  me.  Thou  hast  put 
thyself  to  death.  Henceforth,  thou  shalt  know  what  eternal 
torments  and  infinite  punishments  thou  art  to  endure  in  my 
everlasting  keeping.  O  Prince  Satan,  author  of  death,  and 
source  of  all  pride,  thou  oughtest  first  to  have  inquired  into 
the  bad  cause  of  that  Jesus.  Him  in  whom  thou  perceivedst 
no  fault,  why,  without  reason,  didst  thou  dare  unjustly  to 
crucify?  And  why  hast  thou  brought  to  our  regions  one 
innocent  and  just,  and  lost  the  guilty,  the  impious,  and  the 
unjust  of  the  whole  world  ?^  For  since  I  have  received 
thee  to  keep  thee  safe,  by  experience  thou  shalt  learn  how 
many  evils  I  shall  do  thee." 
(45)  And  when  Hades  had  thus  spoken  to  Prince  Satan,  the 
^/^^l  King  of  glory,  the  Saviour  of  all,  affectionate  and  most  mild, 

^This    view    that    there    were  appears  in  many  of  the  fathers, 

separate  dwellings  in  Hades  for  *Cf.  Luke  xi.21,  22. 

the  just  and  unjust,  and  that  the  'This   seems  to  teach  that  all 

wickeder  a  man  was,  the  lower  the  wicked,  as  well  as  the  saints, 

in  its  deDth«  was  his  dungeon,  were  ransomed  from  Hades. 


CHRIST  BLESSES  ALL  THE  SAINTS        391 

stretched  out  his  right  hand,  and  said,  "Come  to  me,  all  my 
saints,^  who  have  my  image  and  likeness.  Do  ye,  who  have 
been  condemned  through  the  tree  and  the  devil  and  death, 
now  see  the  devil  and  death  condemned  .through  the  tree. 
Immediately,  then,  all  the  saints  were  brought  together 
under  the  hand  of  the  Lord.  And  he  took  hold  of  our  fore- 
father Adam  by  the  right  hand,  and  saluting  him,  kindly 
raised  him  up,  saying,  "Peace  be  to  thee,  Adam,  with  thy 
children,  through  immeasurable  ages  of  ages.  Amen." 
Then  father  Adam,  falling  forward  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord, 
and  being  raised  erect,  kissed  his  hands,  and  shed  many 
tears,  testifying  to  all,  "Behold  the  hands  which  fashioned 
me  !"^  And  he  said  to  the  Lord,  "Thou  hast  come,  O  King 
of  glory,  delivering  men,  and  bringing  them  into  thy  ever- 
lasting kingdom.  I  will  extol  thee,  O  Lord,  for  thou  hast 
lifted  me  up,  and  hast  not  made  my  foes  to  rejoice  over  me. 
O  Lord  God,  I  cried  unto  thee,  and  thou  hast  healed  me. 
O  Lord,  thou  hast  brought  out  my  soul  from  the  powers 
belov/.  Thou  hast  saved  me  from  them  that  go  down  into 
the  pit.  Sing  praises  to  the  Lord,  all  His  saints,  and  confess 
to  the  memory  of  His  holiness ;  since  there  is  anger  in  His 
indignation,  and  life  in  His  good-will."^ 

Then  also  our  mother  Eve  in  like  manner  fell  forward  (47) 
at  the  feet  of  our  Lord,  and  was  raised  erect,  and  kissed  his 
hands,  and  poured  forth  tears  in  abundance,  and  said,  testi- 
fying to  all,  "Behold  the  hands  which  made  me." 

In  like  manner  also,  all  the  saints  of  God,  falling  on  their  (46) 
knees  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord,  said  with  one  voice,  "Thou  ^^7) 
hast  come,  O  Redeemer  of  the  world.  As  thou  hast  foretold 
by  thy  law  and  thy  prophets,  so  hast  thou  fulfilled  by  thy 
deeds.  Thou  hast  redeemed  the  living  by  thy  cross ;  and  by 
the  death  of  thy  cross  thou  hast  come  down  to  us,  to  rescue 
us  from  the  powers  below,  and  from  death,  by  thy  majesty, 
O  Lord.  As  thou  hast  set  the  title  of  thy  glory  in  heaven, 
and  hast  erected  as  the  title  of  redemption  thy  cross  upon 
earth,  so,  O  Lord,  set  in  Hades  the  sign  of  the  victory  of 

'Cf.  Mat.  xi.28.  'Ps.  xxx.i-S,  Vulgate. 

^Job  X.8;  Ps.  cxix,73. 


392         CHRIST  DELIVERS  THE  FATHERS 

thy  cross,  that  death  may  no  more  have  dominion ;  that  its 
most  impious  officers  might  not  retain  as  an  offender  any 
one  whom  the  Lord  hath  absolved."^ 
(45)  And  so  it  was  done.  And  the  Lord  set  his  cross  in  the 
(^47)  midst  of  Hades,  which  is  the  sign  of  victory,  and  which 
will  remain  even  to  eternity.  And  the  Lord,  stretching  forth 
his  hand,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon  Adam  upon  his 
forehead,  and  upon  all  his  saints,  the  patriarchs,  prophets, 
martyrs,  and  forefathers;  and  holding  Adam  by  the  right 
hand,  he  went  up  from  the  powers  below,  and  all  the  saints 
followed  him.  And  while  he  was  going,  holy  David  cried 
out  aloud,  saying,  "Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song,  for  He 
hath  done  wonderful  things.  His  right  hand  and  His  holy 
arm  have  brought  salvation  to  Himself.  The  Lord  hath 
made  known  His  salvation ;  His  righteousness  hath  He  re- 
vealed in  the  sight  of  the  heathen."^ 

(45)  And   all   the   holy   fathers,   accompanying  the   King   of 
^^y  glory,  sang  praises,  saying,  "Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in 

the  name  of  the  Lord.^  Alleluia,  to  Him  be  the  glory  of 
all  the  saints.  The  Lord  God  hath  shone  upon  us  through 
all  ages.  Amen.  Alleluia  for  ever  and  ever.  Praise, 
honour,  power,  glory ;  because  thou  hast  come  from  on  high 
to  visit  us."*  And  after  this,  the  prophet  Habakkuk  cried 
out,  saying,  "Thou  wentest  forth  for  the  salvation  of  thy 
people,  to  deliver  thine  elect."^  And  all  the  saints  answered, 
saying,  "Blessed  is  he  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ; 
and  He  hath  shone  upon  us.     Amen,  alleluia." 

(46)  In  like  manner  after  this,  the  prophet  Micah  also  cried 
out,  saying,  "Who  is  God  like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  taking 
away  iniquities,  and  passing  by  sins?  And  now  thou  dost 
withhold  thine  anger  for  a  testimony  against  us,  because 
thou  delightest  in  mercy.  And  thou  turnest  again,  and  hast 
compassion  upon  us,  and  pardonest  all  our  iniquities;  and 

'Cf.    perhaps,    in    connection,  °See  Ps.  xcviii.l,  2. 

Phil,  ii.9,   10.     The  sign  of  the  ^Ps.  cxviii.26. 

cross  was  early  venerated.    See,  *Ci.  Luke  i.78. 

e.  g.  Justin  Martyr.  "Hab.  iii.13. 


THE  SAINTS  LED  INTO  PARADISE        393 

all  our  -sins  hast  thou  sunk  in  the  multitude  of  death/  as 
thou  hast  sworn  unto  our  fathers  in  the  days  of  old."-  And 
all  the  saints  answered,  saying,  "This  is  our  God  to  eternity, 
and  for  ever  and  ever;  and  he  will  direct  us  for  evermore,^ 
Amen,  alleluia,"  So  also  all  the  prophets,  quoting  the 
sacred  writings  concerning  his  praises,  and  all  the  saints, 
crying,  "Amen,  alleluia,"  followed  the  Lord. 

And  setting  out  to  paradise,  the  Lord  holding  the  hand  (45) 
of  Adam  our  forefather,  delivered  him  and  all  the  just  to  the 
archangel  Michael ;  and  all  the  saints  followed  Michael,  and 
he  led  them  all  into  the  glorious  grace  of  paradise.*  And 
as  they  were  going  into  the  door  of  paradise,  there  met  them 
two  old  men,  ancient  of  days,  to  whom  the  holy  fathers  said, 
^'Who  are  ye,  that  have  not  yet  been  dead  with  us  in  the  re- 
gions below,  and  have  been  placed  in  paradise  in  your  bodies 
and  souls  ?"  One  of  them  answered,  and  said,  "I  am  Enoch, 
who  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  have  been  translated  hither 
by  Him ;  and  he  who  is  with  me  is  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  who 
was  taken  up  by  a  fiery  chariot.  Here  also  even  until  now 
we  have  not  tasted  death,  and  we  are  also  to  live  until  the 
end  of  the  world  ;  and  then  we  are  to  be  sent  by  God  to  with- 
stand Antichrist,  by  divine  signs  and  wonders  to  do  battle 
with  him,  and,  being  killed  by  him  in  Jerusalem,  after  three 
days  and  half  a  day  to  be  taken  up  alive,  and  to  be 
snatched  up  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord."^ 

While  they  were  thus  speaking,  there  came  another,  a  (45) 
most  lowly  wretched  man,  carrying  also  upon  his  shoulders  ^46) 
a  cross ;  and  his  appearance  was  also  that  of  a  robber.®     And 

'So   the   expression   stands   in  that  the  Lord  threw  some  down 

the  Ms.,  but  this  is  certainly  only  into  Tartarus,  and  led  some  with 

a    transcriber's    error    for    "the  him  to  the  upper  world. 

depths  of  the  sea."  °I  Thes.  iv.17;  Rev.  xi.3-12;  I 

^Micah  vii. 18-20.  John  ii.i8;  iv.3.    Enoch  and  Eli- 

"Ps.   xlviii.14.  jah,  as  dwellers  in  paradise  and 

*It  is   evident  that  the  writer  witnesses,     have     already     been 

liere  represents  the  saints  as  en-  mentioned  and  discussed. 

tering   the    same   paradise    from  "The  view  is   that  the  robber 

which   Adam    was    driven    out.  was    transported    corporeally    to 

(47),   in   this   connection,   says  paradise.    Notice  that  (36)  says 


394         CHRIST  DELIVERS  THE  FATHERS 

seeing  him,  all  the  saints  said  to  him,  "Who  art  thou?  be- 
cause thy  appearance  is  that  of  a  robber ;  and  what  is  the 
cross  which  thou  bearest  upon  thy  shoulder?"  In  answer 
to  them,  he  said,  "Truly  have  ye  said  that  I  was  a  robber 
and  a  thief  in  the  world,  doing  all  sorts  of  evil  upon  the 
earth.  And  for  all  these  things  the  Jews  crucified  me  along 
with  Jesus ;  and  I  saw  the  miracles  in  created  things  which 
were  done  through  the  cross  of  Jesus  crucified;  and  I  be- 
lieved him  to  be  the  Creator  of  all  created  things,  and  the 
King  omnipotent.  And  I  entreated  him,  saying,  'Be  mind- 
ful of  me,  Lord,  when  thou  shalt  have  come  into  thy  king- 
dom.' Immediately,  he  accepted  my  entreaty,  and  said  to  me, 
'Amen ;  I  say  unto  thee ;  to-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  par- 
adise.'^ And  he  gave  me  this  sign  of  the  cross,  saying, 
'Walk  into  paradise  carrying  this ;  and  if  the  guardian  angel 
of  paradise  will  not  let  you  go  in,  show  him  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  thou  shalt  say  to  him,  'Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God  who  hath  now  been  crucified,  hath  sent  me.'  Having 
done  so,  I  said  all  this  to  the  archangel  Michael,  the 
guardian  of  paradise.  And  when  he  heard  this,  he  imme- 
diately opened,  and  led  me  in,  and  placed  me  at  the  right  of 
paradise,  saying,  'Lo,  hold  a  little,  and  there  will  come  in 
the  father  of  the  whole  human  race,  Adam,  with  all  his 
children,  holy  and  just,  after  the  triumph  and  glory  of  the 
ascension  of  Christ  the  crucified  Lord.'  And  now  seeing 
you,  I  come  to  meet  you." 

(45)  Hearing  all  these  words  of  the  robber,  all  the  holy  patri- 

(46)  archs  and  prophets  with  one  voice,  said,  "Great  is  our  Lord, 
and  great  is  His  strength.^  Blessed  art  thou,  O  Lord  Al- 
mighty, Father  of  everlasting  benefits,  and  Father  of 
mercies,  who  hast  given  such  grace  to  thy  sinners,  and  hast 
brought  them  back  into  the  grace  of  paradise,  and  into  thy 
rich  pastures ;  for  this  is  spiritual  life  most  sure.  Amen, 
amen." 

(46)      These  are  the  divine  and  sacred  mysteries  which  Charinus 

in  chap.  XXV,  that  the  body  of  *Luke  xxiii.42,  43. 

the  robber  on  the  right  was  not  'Ps.  cxlvii.5. 

found  after  the  Crucifixion. 


THE  CHARGE  TO  SIMEON'S  SONS         395 

and  Leucius  heard.  More,  they  were  not  allowed  to  tell 
of  the  other  mysteries  of  God,  since  Michael  the  archangel 
adjured  them,  and  said,  "Ye  shall  go  into  Jerusalem  with 
your  brethren,  and  continue  in  prayers;  and  ye  shall  cry 
out  and  glorify  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  hath  raised  you  up  from  the  dead  with  himself.  And 
with  none  of  men  shall  ye  speak.  And  ye  shall  sit  as 
dumb,  until  the  hour  shall  come  when  the  Lord  himself 
shall  permit  you  to  relate  the  mysteries  of  his  divinity."^ 
And  Michael  the  archangel  ordered  them  to  walk  across 
Jordan  into  a  place  rich  and  fertile,  where  there  were  many 
who  rose  again  along  with  them  for  an  evidence  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  the  Lord;  because  only  three  days 
were  allowed  to  those  who  had  risen  from  the  dead  to  cele- 
brate in  Jerusalem  the  passover  of  the  Lord,^  with  their 
living  relations,  for  an  evidence  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
the  Lord.  And  they  were  told  to  go  first  to  Jordan  to  be 
baptized,^  and  then  to  remain  in  the  city  of  Arimathaea  in 
prayers. 

^These     circumstances     under  following,  as  is,  indeed,  still  the 

which  they  relate  the  story  are  ideal  of  the  Church, 

given  in  chap.  XXXIV.  'It    would    be    interesting    to 

^This  seems  to  point  to  a  cele-  know  who  administered  this  bap- 

bration   of   Easter   on  not   only  tism   according   to   the   writer's 

the  Lord's  Day,  but  the  two  days  idea. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  RESURRECTION. 

Many  view  the  Sepulchre  —  Jews  seek  Christ's 
Friends — The  Disciples  depart — Nicodemus  re- 
proached— Joseph  imprisoned — Two  Men  descend 
FROM  Heaven  into  the  Tomb — Three  depart  from  it 
— Watchers  tell  Pilate — Women  come  to  the  Tomb 
— Christ  appears  to  them  —  To  the  Disciples  — 
James  —  The  Eleven  —  Joseph's  Deliverance  —  The 
Robber — ^Journey  into  Galilee — Jews'  Council — » 
Guard  examined  and  bribed. 

Main  Sources;  (36) — Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  4,  5. 

(37) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  12,  13,  15. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  12,  13,  15. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  12, 

13,  15- 
(40) — Gospel  of  Peter,  34-60. 

(37)  Now  early  in  the  morning,  as  the  Sabbath  was  drawing  on, 
/^g\  there  came  a  multitude  from  Jerusalem  and  the  region  round 
(40)  about,  that  they  might  see  the  sepulchre  that  was  sealed.^ 
And  the  Jews  hearing  that  Joseph  of  Arimathaea  had 
begged  the  body  of  Jesus,  being  also  made  acquainted  with 
those  things  done  by  him  and  Nicodemus,  were  greatly 
stirred  up  against  them.  They  therefore  sought  them, 
with  the  twelve  who  said  that  Jesus  was  not  born  of  forni- 
cation, and  many  others  who  had  stepped  up  before  Pilate 
and  declared  his  good  works.^ 

^This  sentence  is  from  (40).  ^The  time  of  this,  as  will  after- 

(396) 


JOSEPH  IMPRISONED  BY  THE  JEWS       397 

But  the  twelve  disciples  of  the  Lord  mourned,  and  were  (40) 
grieved,  and  each  one,  being  grieved  for  that  which  was 
come  to  pass,  departed  to  his  home.  Now  it  was  the  last 
day  of  unleavened  bread,  and  many  were  going  forth,  re- 
turning to  their  homes  as  the  feast  was  ended.  And  Simon 
Peter  and  Andrew  his  brother  took  their  nets,  and  went  to 
the  sea,  and  there  was  with  them  Levi  the  son  of  Alphaeus.^ 

And  of  all  those  that  were  hid,  Nicodemus  alone  was  (27) 
seen  by  them,  because  he  was  a  ruler  of  the  Jews.  And  ^-^9) 
Nicodemus  saith  to  them,  "How  have  ye  come  into  the 
synagogue?"-  The  Jews  say  unto  him,  "How  hast  thou 
come  into  the  synagogue?  for  thou  art  a  confederate  of 
his,  and  his  portion  is  with  thee  in  the  world  to  come." 
Nicodemus  saith,  "Amen,  amen." 

And  the  chief  priests  Annas  and  Caiaphas  sent  for  (37) 
Joseph,  and  said,  "Why  hast  thou  done  this  service  to  i^. 
Jesus?"  Joseph  saith,  "I  know  that  Jesus  was  a  man  just 
and  true,  and  good  in  all  respects;  I  know  also  that  ye 
through  hatred  managed  to  murder  him ;  and  therefore  I 
buried  him.  Why  are  ye  angry  against  me  because  I 
begged  the  body  of  Jesus?  Behold,  I  have  put  him  in  my 
new  tomb,  wrapped  him  in  clean  linen ;  and  I  have  rolled 
a  stone  to  the  door  of  the  tomb.  And  ye  have  acted  not  well 
against  the  just  man,  because  ye  have  not  repented  of  cru- 
cifying him,  but  have  also  pierced  him  with  a  spear." 

Then  the  high  priests  were  enraged,  and  laid  hold  of  (36) 
Joseph.     And  carried  away  by  hatred  and  rage,  they  or-  /^gj 
dered  him  to  be  shut  up  in  prison  where  evil-doers  were  kept  (39) 
under  restraint,  until  the  first  day  of  the  week,  saying  unto 
him,  "Know  that  the  time  doth  not  allow  us  to  do  anything 

wards  appear,  was  the  night  of  xvi.7.    But    I    put    the    passage 

Good  Friday.  here,  in  order  not  to  make  too 

^This     paragraph     forms     the  evident    a    contradiction    in    my 

conclusion  of  (40)  as  that  docu-  narrative  further  on. 
ment  is  at  present  known.    The         ^I    suppose    the    meaning    is, 

time  to  which  it  evidently  refers  "How  have  ye  the  face  to  come 

here  is  Easter  Day;  the  disciples  into  a  holy  place  after   sharing 

depart  in  ignorance  of  the  Resur-  in  such  a  deed  as  the  Crucifixion 

rection,     Cf.  Mat.  xxviii.7  >  Mark  of  Jesus." 


398  THE  RESURRECTION 

against  thee,  because  the  Sabbath  is  dawning/  but  early  in 
the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  week-  thou  shalt  be  given 
up  to  death.  Know,  also,  that  thou  shalt  not  be  deemed 
worthy  of  burial,  but  we  shall  give  thy  flesh  to  the  birds  of 
the  air."^  Joseph  saith  to  them,  "These  be  the  words  of 
the  arrogant  Goliath,  who  reproached  the  living  God  and 
holy  David.  For  God  hath  said  by  the  prophet,  'Vengeance 
is  mine,  and  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord.'*  And  now  he  that 
is  uncircumcised  in  flesh,  but  circumcised  in  heart,  hath 
taken  water,  and  washed  his  hands  in  the  face  of  the  sun, 
saying,  T  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  man;  see  ye 
to  it.'°  And  ye  answered,  and  said  unto  Pilate,  'His  blood 
be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  children.'  And  now  I  am  afraid 
lest  the  wrath  of  God  come  upon  you,  and  upon  your  chil- 
dren, as  ye  have  said." 
(36)  And  the  Jews,  hearing  these  words,  were  embittered  in 
^.37)  their  souls,  and  seized  Joseph,  and  locked  him  into  a  room 

(39)  where  there  was  no  window ;  and  guards  were  stationed 
at  the  door.  Also,  they  sealed  the  door  where  Joseph  was 
locked  in,  having  secured  it  by  fastenings  of  all  sorts.  Then 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites, 
made  a  decree  that  all  should  be  found  in  the  synagogue 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week.  Now  this  happened  on  the 
evening  of  the  Sabbath,  about  the  tenth  hour,''  whereby  the 
Jews  transgressed  the  law.  And,  behold,  that  same  nation 
endured  fearful  tribulations  on  the  Sabbath  day. 

(40)  But  in  the  night  in  which  the  Lord's  Day  was  drawing  on, 

^There  seems  to  be  some  doubt  lowed    privation    of    burial    are 

as   to   whether   courts   could   be  well  known, 

held  upon  such  days.  ''Deut.  xxxiv.35;   Rom.  xii.19; 

^(38)    here    says,    the    "Lord's  Heb.  x.30. 

Day."    A    curious    anachronism.  "Mat.  xxvii.24,  25. 

^I  Sam  xvii.44.     The  denial  of  "If  it  is  possible  that  any  har- 

burial  was  counted  the  greatest  monious  sequence  of  these  events 

punishment    amongst    the    Jews,  can  be  made  out,  it  would  appear 

e.  g.  see  I  Kings  xiii.22;  xiv.ii;  that    the   Jews    sought    first    for 

xvi.4;   xxi.24,  etc.     Cf.  also  the  Joseph    on    the    night    of    Good 

Christian     denial    of    burial    to  Friday,    arrested    him    early    on 

heretics,  suicides,  etc.     Classical  Saturday   morning,   and    impris- 

ideas  about  the  evils  that  fol-  oned  him;  then  examined  him 


SOLDIERS  SEE  CHRIST  ARISE  399 

as  the  soldiers  kept  guard  two  by  two  in  a  watch,  there 
was  a  great  voice  in  the  heavens.  And  they  saw  the  heavens 
opened,  and  two  men  descend  from  thence  with  great  Hght, 
and  approach  the  tomb.  And  that  stone  which  was  put  at 
the  door  rolled  of  itself,  and  made  way  in  part ;  and  the  tomb 
was  opened,  and  both  the  young  men  entered  it.^ 

When,^  therefore,  these  soldiers  saw  it,  they  awakened  (40) 
the  centurion  and  the  elders, — for  they  too  were  hardby 
keeping  guard;  and  as  they  declared  what  things  they  had 
seen,  again  they  see  three  men  coming  forth  from  the  tomb, 
and  two  of  them  supporting  one,  and  a  cross  following 
them.^  And  of  the  two,  the  head  reached  unto  the  heavens, 
but  the  head  of  him  that  was  led  by  them  overpassed  the 
heavens.*  And  they  heard  a  voice  from  the  heavens,  saying, 
"Hast  thou  preached  to  them  that  sleep?"  And  a  response 
was  heard  from  the  cross,  "Yea."^  But  those  who  were 
guarding  the  sepulchre  saw  not  how  he  came  forth  from  it. 

They  therefore  considered  one  with  another  whether  to  go  (40) 
away  and  show  these  things  to  Pilate.''     And  while  they 
yet  thought  thereon,  the  heavens  again  are  seen  to  open, 
and  a  certain  man  to  descend  and  enter  into  the  sepulchre. 

on    Saturday    evening,    and    put  full  discussion :  When  the  three 

him  under  strong,  guard.  Marys   came   to  the  tomb,   sud- 

^This  account   from    (40)    has  denly  at  the  third  hour  there  was 

no  direct  canonical  parallel.     It  darkness    throughout   the   whole 

accounts,  however,   for  the  two  earth.  Angels — how  many  is  not 

men  in  shining  garments  of  Luke  stated — descended    from    heaven 

xxiv.4.  and  ascended  with   Him  in  the 

^This  entire  paragraph  is  from  brightness  of  the  living  God,  and 

(40),     save    the    last     sentence,  light  continually  appeared.   Then 

which    is    taken    from   a    Syriac  the   women   came  to   the   tomb, 

document,  The  Teaching  of  Ab-  and  saw  that  the  stone  was  rolled 

gar,   Cod.   Add.,    14,  535,   fol.   I.  away. 

See   Ante-Nicene,   VIII,  p.   655.  *The  gigantic  size  here  attrib- 

^Probably    the    souice    of   the  uted  to  Christ  is  an  indication  of 

'story  in  the  foregoing  chapter  of  the  Docetic  origin  of  (40). 

how  Christ  brought  the  cross  to  ''Cf.  I  Pet.  iv.6,  as  well  as  the 

Hades.   This  account  of  the  Res-  whole  story  of  the  last  two  chap- 

urrection  is  strikingly  similar  to  ters. 

that  of  the  Codex  Bobbiensis,  at  *A11    this    paragraph    is    from 

Mark  xvi.4.     See  Resch,  454,  for  (40). 


400  THE  RESURRECTION 

When  the  centurion  and  they  that  were  with  him  saw  these 
things,  they  hastened  in  the  night  to  Pilate/  leaving  the 
tomb  which  they  were  watching,  and  declared  all  things 
which  they  had  seen,  being  greatly  distressed,  and  saying, 
"Truly  he  was  the  Son  of  God."  Pilate  answered,  and  said, 
"I  am  pure  from  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God;  but  ye  de- 
termined this."-  Then  they  all  drew  near  and  besought 
him,  and  entreated  him  to  command  the  centurion  and  the 
soldiers  to  say  nothing  of  the  things  which  they  had  seen. 
"For  it  is  better,"  say  they,  "for  us  to  incur  the  greatest  sin 
before  God,  and  not  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  people  of 
the  Jews  and  be  stoned."^  Pilate  therefore  commanded  the 
centurion  and  the  soldiers  to  say  nothing. 
(40)  Now  very  early  upon  the  Lord's  Day,  Mary,  Martha,  and 
Mary  Magdalene,*  their  friends  also  being  with  them,  went 
to  the  sepulchre  to  anoint  the  body.  For  out  of  fear  of  the 
Jews,  since  they  were  burning  with  wrath,  they  had  not 
done  at  the  Loid's  sepulchre  all  the  things  which  the  women 
are  wont  to  do  for  those  that  die  and  are  beloved  of  them. 
And  they  feared  lest  the  Jews  should  see  them,  saying,  "Al- 
though on  the  day  on  which  he  was  crucified  we  could  not 
weep  and  lament,  yet  let  us  now  do  these  things  at  his  sepul- 
chre.  But  who  shall  roll  away  for  us  the  stooe  that  was  laid 

^As  told  by    (39),  in  the  ac-  'A  bitterly  hostile  feeling  to- 

count  incorporated  in  this  chap-  wards  the  Jews   appears   every- 

ter   further   on,   the    deliverance  where  in   (40). 

of  Joseph  and  the  Resurrection  ^Practically  all  this  paragraph 

took  place  at  the  midnight  which  is  from  (40),  but  that  mentions 

ushered    in    Easter   Day.     Prac-  only   Mary   Magdalene   and   her 

tically  all  Greek  church  tradition  friends   as   having   come  to   the 

agrees    as    to    this.     The    Latin  sepulchre.     Martha  is  mentioned 

fathers,  however,  favour  three  in  by   a    Coptic   papyrus    fragment, 

the  morning  as  the  hour.  August-  translated  by  Dr.  Schmidt  in  the 

ine  says  that  no   mortal   knows  Sit:;ungsherichte    der    Akadeinie 

what  the  hour  of  the  Resurrec-  der    Wissenschaften    zu    Berlin, 

tion  was.     The  one  man  who  last  June   20,    1895,    (XXI,   pp.    705- 

entered  the  tomb  must  represent  711).     See     Coptic     Apocryphal 

the  single  angel  of  Mat.  xxviii.2,  Gospels,     Robinson,    p.     xiv.     I 

3 ;  Mark  xvi.5.  shall  use  this  brief  fragment  fur- 

"Mat.  xxvii.24.  ther  on. 


THE  WOMEN  AT  THE  TOMB  401 

at  the  door  of  the  sepulchre?  For  the  stone  was  great,  and 
we  fear  lest  some  one  see  us.  And  if  we  cannot,  yet  if  we 
but  set  at  the  door  the  things  which  we  bring  for  a  memorial 
of  him,  we  will  weep  and  lament,  until  we  come  into  our 
home."^ 

Then  they  went  away  and  found  the  tomb  opened,  and  (40) 
coming  near,  they  looked  in,  and  see  a  certain  young  man 
sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  tomb,  beautiful  and  clothed  in 
a  robe  exceeding  bright,  who  also  said  to  them,  "Wherefore 
are  ye  come?  Whom  seek  ye?  Him  that  was  crucified? 
He  is  risen  and  gone.  But  if  ye  believe  not,  look  in  and  see 
the  place  where  he  lay,  that  he  is  not  here;  for  he  is  risen 
and  gone  away  thither,  whence  he  was  sent."  Then  the 
women  feared  and  fled." 

But  they  grieved  and  wept  since  they  had  found  the  sepul-  (n) 
chre  empty.  Then  the  Lord  appeared  to  them,  and  saith, 
"Why  do  ye  weep?  Cease  to  weep,  for  I  am  he  whom  ye 
seek.  But  let  one  of  you  go  to  your  brethren,  and  say, 
'Come,  the  master  hath  risen  from  the  dead.' "  Then 
Martha  went  and  told  them.  But  they  said  to  her,  "What 
hast  thou  to  do  with  us,  O  woman?  He  who  died  is  buried, 
and  it  is  not  possible  that  he  should  be  living."  For  they 
did  not  believe  her  that  the  Saviour  was  risen  from  the  dead. 
Then  she  went  to  the  Lord,  and  said  to  him,  "No  one  among 
them  hath  believed  me  that  thou  livest."  And  he  said,  "Let 
another  of  you  go  to  them  and  say  it  to  them  again."  So 
Mary  went  and  told  them  again,  and  they  did  not  believe. 
She  came  back  to  the  Lord,  and  told  him.     Then  the  Lord 

^Cf.   for  this  paragraph,   Mat.  °This  paragraph  is  from  (40), 

xxviii.i ;     Mark    xvi.1-3;    Luke  which  here  ends  its  account  of 

xxiv.i ;  John  xx.i.    The  Didas-  the  Resurrection.    The  canonical 

caHa,  V,  13,  and  ApostoHc  Con-  parallels  are  Mat.  xxviii.3,  5,  6; 

stitutions,  V,  14,  also  contain  ac-  Mark   xvi.5,   6;    Luke   xxiv.2-8; 

counts,  but  not  differing  enough  John    xx.i.     The   most    remark- 

from   the   canonical   ones   to  be  able  thing  about  this  account  is 

worth  inserting  here.    They  ex-  that  it  makes  Christ's  Resurrec- 

hibit  much  confusion  as  to  the  tion  at  the  same  time  His  As- 

sequence  of  events.  cension. 


402  THE  RESURRECTION 

said  to  Mary  and  her  other  sisters,  "Let  us  go  to  them."^ 
(n)  And  the  Lord  went  and  found  the  disciples  within,  and 
called  to  them.^  But  they  thought  that  it  was  a  phantom, 
and  believed  not  that  it  was  the  Lord.^  And  he  said  to  them, 
"Come.*  And  thou,  O  Peter,  who  hast  thrice  denied  him, 
dost  thou  still  deny  ?"  But  they  approached  him  whilst  they 
still  doubted  in  their  hearts  whether  it  were  he.  Then  did 
he  say  to  them,  "Why  doubt  ye  yet,  and  are  unbelieving? 
Why  are  ye  disturbed,  and  thoughts  ascend  into  your 
hearts?^  I  am  he  that  hath  told  you,  so  that  on  account  of 
my  flesh  and  my  death  and  my  resurrection  ye  should  know 
that  it  is  L  Peter,  lay  thy  finger  in  the  nail  prints  of  my 
hands.  And  thou,  Thomas,  lay  thy  finger  in  the  lance  wound 
in  my  side.  And  do  thou,  Andrew,  touch  my  feet,  and  thou 
wilt  see  that  they  are  like  those  of  earth.®  Take  hold,  handle 
me;  and  see  that  I  am  not  an  incorporeal  spirit."  And 
straightway  they  touched  him,  and  believed,  being  con- 
vinced by  his  flesh  and  by  his  spirit.'^  And  they  answered 
him,  "We  have  indeed  come  to  know  that  it  is  thee,  in  the 

^This      paragraph      is      from  brew  Gospel  used  by  the  Naza- 

Schmidt's  Coptic  fragment,  just  renes.      It    is    identically    Luke 

referred  to.     Cf.   Mat.   xxviii.8;  xxiv.38. 

Luke  xxiv.9;  Mark  xvi.9-11.  Of  "Schmidt's  fragment  here  con- 
course this,  and  much  else  that  tinues,  "For  it  is  written  in  the 
follows,  is  inconsistent  with  the  prophets,  'Phantoms  of  dreams 
story  told  by  (40).                               upon    earth.'"     The    next 

^This  paragraph  also,  with  ex-  sentence  in  my  text  is  the  rest 

ceptions  noted,  is  from  Schmidt's  of    the    fragment    mentioned    in 

fragment.     Cf.    John    xx.2a,    24-  note  6.     Substantially  the  same 

28;  Luke  xxiv.12;   I  Cor.  xv.s.  fragment  is  found  in  Jerome  de 

Uncanonical     accounts     of     the  Vir.     III. ;     Pseudo-Ignatius    ad 

central  incident  regarding  Peter  Smyrn.,   Ill;   Eusebius,   Church 

are  many.  Hist.,  Ill,  36;  Origan  de  Princ. 

*Cf.    Acts  xii.15,    as    well    as  Proem,  c.  8 ;  Ignatius  ad  Smyrn., 

Luke  xxiv.37.  Ill-     Cf.  Luke  xxiv.39,  40. 

*There  is  here  a  lacuna  in  the  ^I    have    added    this    sentence 

Ms.  from  the  last  source  cited  in  note 

"This  sentence  is  from  a  pas-  16.    The  remainder  of  the  para- 
sage     quoted     by     Jerome,     in  graph   is  again  from   Schmidt's 
Proem,    in    lib.    XVIII,    Esaiae,  fragment, 
and  by  him  attributed  to  the  He- 


CHRIST  APPEARS  TO  JAMES  403 

flesh."   And  they  cast  themselves  on  their  faces,  confessing 
their  sins  that  they  had  been  unbeheving. 

And  the  Lord,  after  he  had  given  his  grave  clothes  to  the  (n) 
servant  of  the  priest,  appeared  to  James.  For  James  had 
sworn  that  he  would  not  eat  bread  from  that  hour  in  which 
he  drank  the  cup  of  the  Lord,  until  he  should  see  him  rising 
again  from  among  those  that  sleep.  And  the  Lord  said, 
"Bring  a  table  and  bread."  He  brought  bread,  and  blessed, 
and  brake,  and  gave  to  James  the  Just,  and  said  to  him,  "My 
brother,  eat  thy  bread;  for  the  son  of  man  is  risen  from 
among  those  that  sleep."^ 

Afterwards,  he  appeared  unto  the  eleven  as  they  sat  at  (n) 
meat,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief  and  hardness 
of  heart,  because  they  had  not  believed  them  which  had 
seen  him  arising.  And  they  excused  themselves  to  him, 
saying,  "This  age  of  iniquity  and  unbelief  is  under  the 
power  of  Satan,  who  by  means  of  unclean  spirits  permitteth 
not  the  power  of  God  to  be  perceived.  For  that  reason,  re- 
veal now  thy  righteousness."^ 

Now  Joseph  fell  a-praying  in  the  prison  throughout  the  (36) 
whole  night  of  the  preparation  and  the  whole  day  of  the  ^A^l 
Sabbath.  And  at  midnight,^  as  he  was  standing  and  praying,  (39) 
the  room  where  he  was  kept  was  hung  up  by  the  four 
corners,*  whilst  he  saw  a  light  like  lightning  to  his  eyes. 

^This  passage  is  found  in  Je-  another  version  of  the  story  in 

rome  de  Vir.  Illust.,  II,  where  it  the  second  paragraph  preceding. 

is  said  to  be  taken  from  the  Gos-  But  notice  how  Paul,  in  I  Cor. 

pel  according  to  the  Hebrews.   It  xv.5,   speaks   of  one  appearance 

is  also  found  in  Pseudo-Abdias,  to   Cephas,  then  to  the  twelve ; 

Hist.  Apostol.,  VI,  I ;  in  Grego-  and  then  in  xv.7  of  an  appear- 

rius     Turonensis ;     and     in    the  ance  to  James  and  then  to  all  the 

Golden    Legend.     There    would  apostles.       For     the     significant 

seem   to    be    strong   reason    for  sentence,  "This  age  of  iniquity," 

thinking  this  to  be  the  appear-  etc.,  cf.  Eph.  ii.2;  II  Cor.  iv.4. 

ance  mentioned  in  I   Cor.  xv.7.  ^(36)    makes    this    to   be    the 

Cf.  also  John  xx.24.     See  Resch,  midnight  follozving  Easter  Day, 

p.  421,  for  full  discussion.  which  senseless  tradition  I  dis- 

^This  version  of  Mark  xvi.l4  is  regard,   placing  these   events  at 

found  in  Jerome  adv.  Pelag.,  II,  the  midnight  before. 

15.    Probably  the  addition  is  but  *The    narrative    of    Acts  v.i8 


404  THE  RESURRECTION 

And  he  was  afraid,  falling  to  the  ground.  Then  one  took 
him  by  the  hand,  and  removed  him  from  the  place  where  he 
had  fallen ;  and  moisture  of  water  was  poured  from  his  head 
even  to  his  feet,  whilst  a  smell  of  perfumes^  came  about  his 
nostrils.  And  one,  embracing  him,  wiped  his  face  and  kissed 
him,  saying  unto  him,  "Fear  not,  Joseph,  open  thine  eyes, 
and  see  who  it  is  that  speaketh  unto  thee."  And  looking 
up,  Joseph  saw  Jesus.  But  thinking  it  was  a  phantom, 
Joseph  trembled  and  said  the  commandments ;  then  said  he 
them  with  him.  Even  so,  none  is  ignorant  that  a  phantom, 
if  it  meet  anybody  and  hear  the  commandments,  taketh  to 
flight.^  And  seeing  that  he  repeated  them  with  him,  Joseph 
said  unto  him,  "Rabbi  Elias.'*'  And  he  said  unto  Joseph, 
"I  am  not  Elias. "^  Then  Joseph  said  unto  him,  "Who  art 
thou,  my  Lord?"  And  he  said  unto  Joseph,  "I  am  Jesus, 
whose  body  thou  didst  beg  from  Pilate;  and  thou  didst 
clothe  me  with  clean  linen,  and  didst  put  a  napkin  on  my 
face,  and  didst  lay  me  in  thy  new  tomb,  and  didst  roll  a 
great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  tomb." 
(36)  Now  there  was  along  with  Jesus  the  robber  who  had  been 
/^gN  crucified  with  him  on  the  right,  whom  he  sent  into  paradise. 
(39)  And  Joseph  first  recognized  Jesus  when  he  came  out  of  the 
prison,  and  saw  with  him  the  robber,  bringing  a  letter  to 

may  have   furnished   some   sug-  nearly  all  nations.   For  examples 

gestion    for    this    whole    legend.  of  Christian  ones,  see  chap.  XX. 

The  legend  of  the  taking  up  of  The  Jewish  phylacteries,  enclos- 

the   house   finds    its    fuller   later  ing   certain   verses   of   scripture, 

development  in  the  story  of  the  were    so    used.      The    ten    com- 

Virgin's    house    transported    to  mandments  were  often  found  in 

Loretto,    which    I    have   already  these,  and  it  is  natural  to  think 

noted.  that  they  would  have  been  re- 

^Intended,    probably,   to     indi-  garded  as  equally  effective  when 

cate  the  smell   of  the   spices   in  pronounced  aloud, 

which       Christ's       body       was  Tt  was  believed  by  the  Jews 

wrapped,  and  thus  to  show  that  that  Elijah  often  appeared  to  the 

it  was  really  He  and  not  a  phan-  wise     in     different     forms.     See 

torn.  Eisenmenger,  II,  402.     So  it  was 

"Verbal    formulae    to    use    as  natural  for  Joseph  to  think  that 

charms,  and  especially  to  exor-  this  might  be  he. 
cise  evil  spirits,  are  used  amongst 


THE  LETTER  FROM  PARADISE  405 

Jesus.  And  there  was  also  with  the  robber  a  great  fragrance 
out  of  paradise.  And  Joseph  said  to  Jesus,  "Show  me  the 
place  where  I  laid  thee."  Then  he  carried  Joseph  away,  and 
showed  him  the  place  where  he  laid  him,  and  the  linen  cloth 
lying  in  it,  and  the  napkin  for  his  face.^  Then  Joseph  knew 
that  it  was  Jesus. 

And  Jesus,  having  sat  down  in  a  certain  place,  thus  read  (36) 
the  letter  borne  by  the  robber :  "We,  the  cherubim  and  the 
six-winged,  who  have  been  ordered  by  Thy  Godhead  to 
watch  the  garden  of  paradise,  make  the  following  statement 
through  the  robber,  who  was  crucified  along  with  Thee,  by 
Thy  arrangement :  When  we  saw  the  print  of  the  nails  of 
the  robber  crucified  along  with  Thee,  and  the  shining  light 
of  the  letter  of  Thy  Godhead,  the  fire  indeed  was  extin- 
guished, not  being  able  to  bear  the  splendour  of  the  print  ;^ 
and  we  crouched  down,  being  in  great  fear.  For  we  heard 
that  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  of  the  whole  crea- 
tion, had  come  down  from  on  high  to  dwell  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  earth,  on  account  of  Adam,  the  first-created. 
And  when  we  beheld  the  undefiled  cross  shining  like  light- 
ning from  the  robber,  gleaming  with  sevenfold  the  light 
of  the  sun,  trembling  fell  upon  us.  We  felt  a  violent 
shaking  of  the  world  below ;  and  with  a  loud  voice,  the  min- 
isters of  Hades,  said,  along  with  us,  'Holy,  holy  holy,  is 
He  who  in  the  beginning  was  in  the  highest.'  And  the 
powers  sent  up  a  cry,  'O  Lord,  Thou  hast  been  made  mani- 
fest in  heaven  and  in  earth,  bringing  joy  to  the  world ;  and 
a  greater  gift  than  this.  Thou  hast  freed  Thine  own  image 
from  death  by  the  invisible  purpose  of  the  ages.'  "^ 

After  Joseph  had  beheld  these  things,  as  he  was  going  (36) 
into  Galilee  with  Jesus  and  the  robber,  Jesus  was  transfig- 
ured, and  was  not  as  formerly,  before  he  was  crucified,  but 
was  altogether  light.*     And  the  angels  always  ministered  to 
him,  Jesus  speaking  with  them.   But  no  one  of  his  disciples 

'John  XX.6,  7.  to  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus  is 

"The  print  of  the  nails.  evident. 

^The  indebtedness  of  all  this         *Cf.  Mat.  xvii.2;  Mark  ix.3. 
30 


4o6  THE  RESURRECTION 

was  with  him,  except  the  robber  alone.  And  Joseph  re- 
mained with  him  three  days.^ 
(36)  And  in  the  middle  of  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  his 
disciple  John  cometh,  and  they  no  longer  beheld  the  robber 
as  to  what  took  place.^  And  John  asked  Jesus,  "Who  is  this, 
that  thou  hast  not  made  me  to  be  seen  by  him?"  But  Jesus 
answered  him  nothing.  And  falling  down  before  him,  John 
said,  "Lord,  I  know  that  thou  hast  loved  me  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  why  dost  thou  not  reveal  to  me  that  man  ?"  Jesus 
saith  unto  him,  "Why  dost  thou  seek  what  is  hidden?  Art 
thou  still  without  understanding?  Dost  thou  not  perceive 
the  fragrance  of  paradise  filling  the  place?  Dost  thou  not 
know  who  it  is?  The  robber  on  the  cross  hath  become  heir 
of  paradise.  Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto  thee,  that  it  shall 
belong  to  him  alone^  until  that  the  great  day  shall  come." 
And  John  said,  "Make  me  worthy  to  behold  him." 
(36)  Now,  while  John  was  yet  speaking,  the  robber  suddenly 
/•^g)  appeared ;  and  John,  struck  with  astonishment,  fell  to  the 
(39)  earth.  And  the  robber  was  not  in  his  first  form,  as  before 
John  came ;  but  he  was  like  a  king  in  great  power,  having  on 
him  the  cross.  And  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude  was  sent 
forth,  "Thou  hast  come  to  the  place  prepared  for  thee  in 
paradise.  We  have  been  commanded  by  Him  that  hath  sent 
thee,  to  serve  thee  until  the  great  day."  And  after  this  voice, 
the  robber  vanished.  Then  Jesus  took  Joseph  by  the  hand, 
and  placed  him,  though  the  doors  were  locked,  in  the  middle 
of  his  own  house ;  and  leading  him  away  to  his  bed,  he  said 
unto  him,  "Peace  to  thee."*  And  he  kisssed  Joseph,  and  said 

^The  time  and  manner  of  this  bodily  to  paradise, 

journey,  as  well  as  the  locality  ^Inconsistent,  of    course,  with 

where  these  days  were  spent,  in-  the      representations     of     chap, 

volve   mysterious    questions,    in-  XXIX,     which    brings     all     the 

deed.     I  am  unequal  to  their  so-  saints  into  paradise, 

lution.     For     Christ's     journey  ^Here    there    is    a    transition 

unto   Galilee,  cf.   Mat.   xxviii.7;  from  the   narrative   of    (26)    to 

Mark  xvi.7;  John  xxi.i.  that  of  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus. 

^The    inference    seems    to    be  For  the  locked  doors,  cf.  John 

that  he  had  returned  once  more  xx.19. 


THE  STORY  TOLD  BY  THE  GUARD   407 

to  him,  "For  forty  days  go  not  forth  out  of  thy  house;  for, 
behold,  I  go  to  my  brethren  unto  Galilee." 

Now  rising  up  early ,^  all  the  multitude  in  the  synagogue  (37) 
had  consulted  by  what  death  they  should  slay  Joseph.  And  ^^} 
when  the  Sanhedrin  was  sitting,  they  ordered  him  to  be 
brought  in  with  much  indignity.  But  having  opened  the 
door  of  the  prison,  they  found  him  not.  Then  were  all  the 
people  surprised,  and  struck  with  dismay,  because  they 
found  the  seals  unbroken  and  the  door  shut  and  the  bolts 
safe,  whilst  Caiaphas  had  the  key.  Then  they  no  longer 
dared  to  lay  hands  upon  those  who  had  spoken  before  Pilate 
in  Jesus'  behalf.^ 

And  while  they  were  still  sitting  in  the  synagogue,  re-  (37) 
criminating  about  Joseph,  there  came  some  of  the  guard  ^^gl 
whom  the  Jews  had  begged  of  Pilate  to  watch  the  tomb  of 
Jesus,  that  his  disciples  might  not  come  and  steal  him.  And 
they  reported  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests, 
and  the  Levites,  what  had  happened.  And  they  said, 
"Learn  that  Jesus  hath  risen."  The  Jews  say,  "How  ?"  And 
they  said,  "First  there  was  a  great  earthquake,^  then  we 
saw  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  clothed  with  lightning  and  in 
raiment  white  as  snow,  come  from  heaven ;  and  he  rolled 
away  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of  the  tomb  and  sat  upon  it  : 
his  countenance  also  shone  like  lightning.  And  from  fear  of 
him,  all  of  us  soldiers  were  greatly  afraid;  for  we  lay  like 
dead  men,  and  were  able  neither  to  flee  nor  speak."*  And  we 
heard  the  voice  of  the  angel  saying  to  the  women  who 
remained  beside  the  tomb,  'Be  not  afraid,  for  I  know  thafe 
ye  seek  Jesus  who  was  crucified.  He  is  not  here.  He  is  risen, 
as  he  said.  Bend  down  and  see  the  place  where  the  Lord 
lay;  and  go  quickly,  telling  his  disciples  that  he  hath  risen 
from  the  dead,  and  is  in  Galilee.     And  let  them  go  into 

^That  is,  on  Easter  morning.  Joseph  for  burial,  of  how  they 
"Some     Mss.     of     (38)     (see  had  carefully  guarded  the  tomb, 
Tischendorf,  p  315)  here  add  an  etc.    But  I  omit  this,  as  the  sub- 
account of  how  the  Jews  went  stance  is  repeated  elsewhere, 
to  Pilate  and  complained  that  he  'Mat.  xxviii.2. 
had  given  the  body  of  Christ  to        *Mat,  xxviii,3,  4. 


408  THE  RESURRECTION 

Galilee,  for  there  shall  they  find  him.^  For  this  reason  I  tell 
you  this  first.'  " 
(S7)  Then  say  the  Jews  unto  the  soldiers,  "To  what  women  did 
(^l  he  speak  ?  What  sort  of  women  were  they  who  came  to  the 
tomb?"  Then  men  of  the  guard  say,  "We  know  not  who 
they  were."  The  Jews  say,  "At  what  time  was  this?"  The 
men  of  the  guard  reply,  "At  midnight."  The  Jews  say, 
"And  wherefore  did  ye  not  lay  hold  of  them?"  The  men 
of  the  guard  reply,  "From  the  mere  sight  of  the  angel,  we 
were  like  dead  men  from  fear,  and  were  not  able  to  speak 
or  move,  not  expecting  to  see  the  light  of  day.  How  then 
could  we  lay  hold  of  them?"  The  Jews  say,  "As  the  Lord 
liveth,  we  believe  not  a  word  that  ye  say."  The  men  of 
the  guard  reply  to  the  Jews,  "If  ye  have  seen  so  great  mir- 
acles in  the  case  of  this  man,  and  have  not  believed,  how 
then  can  ye  believe  us?  Assuredly,  ye  have  done  well  to 
swear  as  the  Lord  liveth,  for  indeed  he  whom  ye  crucified 
doth  live."  And  again  the  men  of  the  guard  say,  "We  have 
heard  that  ye  have  locked  up  the  body  of  the  man  that 
begged  the  body  of  Jesus,  sealing  the  door  with  your  rings, 
and  that  opening  it  ye  have  not  found  him.  Do  ye  then 
give  us  the  man  whom  ye  were  guarding,  and  we  shall  give 
you  Jesus."  The  Jews  say,  "Joseph  hath  gone  away  to  his 
own  city ;  ye  will  find  him  in  Arimathaea."  The  men  of  the 
guard  say  to  the  Jews,  "Jesus  hath  risen,  as  we  heard  from 
the  angel,  and  is  in  Galilee;  go  ye  too  into  Galilee,  and  ye 
will  find  Jesus,  as  the  angel  said  to  the  women." 

(37)  And  when  the  Jews  heard  these  words,  they  were  very 

(38)  much  afraid,  saying,  "We  must  take  care  lest  this  story  be 
heard,  and  all  will  believe  in  Jesus."  So  they  called  -a 
council,  and  consulting  among  themselves,  brought  forth  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  in  silver  pieces.  And  they  gave 
this  to  the  soldiers,  saying,  "See  that  ye  tell  this  story  to 
nobody.  But  say  that  while  ye  slept  his  disciples  came  and 
stole  him  from  the  tomb."^    But  the  soldiers  said,  "We  are 

*Mat.  xxviii  5-7 ;  Mark  xvi.6,  7.      amongst  the  Jews  is  alleged  by 

*Mat.  xxviii. 12,  13.     That  this      Justin     Martyr,     Eusebius,     and 

report       was     widely       spread      Pseudo-Clement.    The  somewhat 


THE  GUARD  BRIBED  BY  THE  JEWS       409 

afraid  lest  by  any  means  Pilate  hear  that  we  have  taken 
money,  and  kill  us."  But  the  Jews  said,  "Take  it,  and  we 
pledge  ourselves  to  keep  you  out  of  trouble.  For  if  this 
come  to  the  ears  of  the  procurator,  we  shall  speak  to  Pilate 
in  your  defence,  and  persuading  him,  make  you  secure." 
So  the  soldiers  took  it,  and  said  as  they  had  been  instructed. 
Their  saying,  also,  was  spread  abroad  among  all,  so  that  up 
to  this  day,  this  same  lying  tale  is  told  among  the  Jews.^ 
But  when  those  watchers  were  questioned  before  Pilate,  they 
confessed  before  him  how  large  a  bribe  the  chief  priests  of 
th  Jews  had  given  them,  so  that  they  might  say  that  his 
disciples  had  stolen  the  body  of  Christ. 

similar    story,   that   one   of   the  theory,     which     was     doubtless 

leaders  of  the  people,  Judas,  for  broached  by  the  skeptics  of  his 

fear    that    His    disciples    would  time.      He      speaks      ironically, 

steal   Christ's  body,  took  it  out  "This  is  He  whom  His  disciples 

of  the  tomb  and  buried  it  in  the  secretly  stole  away,  that  it  might 

bed    of   a    river,   is   told   in   the  be  said  He  had  risen  again,  or 

Toledoth  Jeschu,  a  blasphemous  the  gardener  abstracted,  that  his 

Jewish   book   to   which    I   have  lettuces  might  come  to  no  harm 

several      times      referred.    And  from  the  crowds  of  visitants." 
Tertullian  gives,  De  Spectaculis,         *Mat.  xxviii,i4,  15. 
chap.     XXX,     another     curious 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

REVELATIONS  DURING  THE  GREAT  FORTY  DAYS. 

Bartholomew  alone  dares  question  Christ — Who 
TELLS  of  His  Disappearance  from  the  Cross — Of  the 
avenging  Angel — Discourses  about  the  Souls  in 
Paradise — Bartholomew  questions  Mary — Her 
Prayer — She  tells  of  the  Annunciation — Christ 
SHOWS  Beliar  to  the  Apostles — Bartholomew 
questions  him — He  tells  of  the  Creation  and  Fall 
OF  the  Angels — Of  the  various  Angels  who  preside 
over  the  Earth. 

Main  Source:  {33) — Questions  of  Bartholomew. 

(33)  Now  when,  after  Christ's  burial,  he  arose  from  the  dead, 
no  one  dared  to  question  him ;  because  his  mortal  body,  in- 
deed, was  not  seen,  but  his  divinity  only.^  And  Bartholo- 
mew, coming  to  him,  said,  "1  have  a  word  which  I  would 
fain  speak  unto  thee,  O  Lord."  And  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
"I  know  what  thou  wouldest  ask  me;  speak  it,  then;  for 
even  what  thou  hast  not  in  mind,  I  will  reveal  unto  thee." 
And  Bartholomew  said,  "Lord,  when  thou  didst  will  to  be 
fixed  to  the  cross,  I,  following  afar  off,  saw  thee  suspended 
from  the  cross;  and  I  saw  the  angels  descending  from 
heaven  to  hail  thy  passion,  and  the  darkness;  and  looking 
again,  I  saw  not  thee  hanging  upon  the  cross,^  but  I  heard 
only  shoutings  in  the  under-world,  and  groanings,  and 
grievous  gnashing  of  teeth.     Tell  me,  I  beseech  thee,  O 

^This  chapter  is  composed  ex-         ^A  plainly  Docetic  view  of  the 
clusively  of  the  first  part  of  (33).      Crucifixion. 

(410) 


HOW  THE  TEMPLE  VEIL  WAS  RENT      411 

Lord,  whither  thou  didst  go  from  the  cross."  And  the 
Lord  said,  "Happy  art  thou,  Bartholomew  my  servant, 
because  thou  hast  seen  this  mystery ;  on  this  account,  I  will 
tell  thee  all  that  thou  askest  me.  When  I  disappeared  from 
the  cross,  I  descended  to  the  lower  world  with  my  angels, 
whence  I  led  forth  Adam  and  all  the  patriarchs,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  ascended  upon  the  cross."^ 

And  Bartholomew  said,  'T  saw,  O  Lord,  all  the  angelic  (23) 
powers  ascending  into  heaven  and  praising  thee  before  the 
Father,  but  one  angel,  pre-eminent  amongst  them^  all,  wished 
not  to  seek  heaven ;  in  his  hand,  moreover,  he  held  a  fiery 
lance,  and  he  looked  toward  thee  alone;  and  all  the  angels 
asked  that  they  might  ascend  into  heaven,  but  he  wished 
not  to  enter  except  thou  shouldest  command  him ;  and  I  saw 
a  flame  of  fire  which  went  forth  from  his  hand,  reaching 
out  toward  the  city."  And  Jesus  said,  "Happy  art  thou, 
Bartholomew  my  beloved,  because  thou  hast  seen  these 
mysteries ;  he  was  one  of  the  avenging  angels  who  stand 
around  the  throne  of  my  Father,  whom  my  Father  sent  me.' 
For  this  reason  he  was  unwilling  to  enter  heaven,  because 
he  wished  to  destroy  the  power  of  the  world.  When,  more- 
over, I  commanded  him  to  ascend,  a  flame  went  forth  from 
his  hand,  dividing  and  cleaving  into  two  parts  the  veil  of 
the  temple,  in  testimony  of  suffering  upon  the  children  of 
Israel  because  they  crucified  me."* 

And  having  said  these  things,  the  Lord  said  to  the  apos-  (2^) 
ties,  "Wait  for  me  in  this  place,  that  I  being  present  may 
receive  the  sacrifice  which  is  offered  to  me  to-day  in  para- 

'I   have   never   met   elsewhere  mon  sources,  or  from  each  other, 

this  idea  that  the  deliverance  of  A  similar  description  of  aveng- 

the    fathers    took    place    during  ing  angels  is  to  be  found  in  the 

Christ's  brief  absence  from  the  Mohammedan   apocalypse   incor- 

cross    before    His    burial.    For  porated  in  chap.  XVIII. 

other    views,     see     note,     chap.  'Cf.  Mat.  xxvi.S3. 

XXVIII.  *At  this  point  ends  the  Slavic 

"Perhaps  to  be  identified  with  version  of  (33),  which  Vassiliev 

the  angel   Emelouch,  mentioned  prints   in   Latin,   and   his   Greek 

in  chap.   XXI.     This   document  text  begins  with  the  next  para- 

and  that  have  drawn  from  com-  graph. 


412  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

disc."  Bartholomew,  answering,  said  to  Jesus,  "Lord,  what 
sacrifice  is  being  offered  in  paradise?"  Jesus  saith,  "The 
souls  of  the  just,  departing  to-day  from  the  body,  come  into 
paradise;  and  if  I  be  not  present,  they  do  not  enter  in." 
Bartholomew  said,  "How  many  souls  are  there.  Lord,  that 
enter  into  paradise?"  Jesus,  replying,  said  to  him,  "There 
are  three."  Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "Lord,  when  thou 
didst  teach  the  word  with  us,  didst  thou  receive  sacrifices  in 
paradise?"  Jesus,  answering,  saith  to  him,  "Verily,  I  say 
unto  thee,  my  beloved,  that  I  both  taught  the  word  with 
you,  and  without  sorrow  was  sitting  down  with  the  Father, 
and  each  day  received  sacrifices  in  paradise."^  Bartholo- 
mew, answering,  saith  to  him,  "Lord,  have  only  three  souls 
come  out  each  day?"  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "Scarcely  fifty- 
three,  my  beloved."  Again  Bartholomew  saith,  "And  how 
do  only  three  enter  into  paradise  ?"2  Jesus  saith  to  him, 
"Certainly  they  are  set  down  In  Abraham's  bosom ;  but  the 
rest  are  in  the  place  of  resurrection,  because  they  are  not 
the  same  as  the  fifty."  Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "How 
many  souls  are  there.  Lord,  in  the  world?  Are  they  very 
numerous?"  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "One  soul  only  of  those 
coming  out  is  superfluous,  and  is  born."^  And  whilst  they 
were  saying  these  things,  he  gave  to  them  peace,  and  dis- 
appeared from  them. 
(23)  And  the  apostles  were  in  the  Cherubim*  with  Mary. 
And  Bartholomew,  drawing  near,  saith  to  Peter  and  An- 

^For  note  on  the  praises  of  the  sion     of    matter    above    noted, 

angels  in  paradise,  see  chap.  IV.  There  is  possibly  allusion  to  the 

^Something     seems     to     have  pre-existence     and     rebirth     of 

dropped   out   of   the    Ms.    here,  souls. 

perhaps     a     somewhat     lengthy  *At  first  sight  it  would  look  as 

passage.     Possibly  the  teaching  if  the  meaning  were,  "among  the 

is  that  fifty  souls  each  day  pass  Cherubim";  but  further  on,  the 

into  Abraham's  bosom,  and  three  Cherubim   is   distinctly  called  a 

into   paradise,   which   is    distin-  place.    There  is  probably  here  an 

guished  from  the  former  place,  imitation  of,  and  attempted  im- 

*This  is  the  literal  translation  provement   on   the   language   of 

of  the  Greek  as  it  stands,  and  Rev.  i.io,  "I  was  in  the  Spirit  on 

seems  meaningless.    The  confu-  the  Lord's  Day." 
sion  is  probably  due  to  the  omis- 


THE  APOSTLES  QUESTION  MARY         413 

drew  and  John,  "Let  us  ask  the  highly-favoured  Mary  how 
she  conceived  the  boundless,  or  how  she  carried  the  insup- 
portable, or  how  she  brought  forth  such  greatness."  But 
they  hesitated  to  ask  her.  Therefore  Bartholomew  saith  to 
Peter,  "Father  Peter,  thou  as  leader,  having  requested,  ask 
her."  But  Peter  saith  to  John,  "Thou  as  a  virgin  like  her, 
oughtest  to  ask  her."  And  while  they  were  all  hesitating 
and  disputing,  Bartholomew,  drawing  near,  looked  into  her 
face,  and  lifting  up  his  voice,  said  to  her,  "O  tabernacle 
which  hast  obtained  favour,  who  didst  cherish  unpolluted, 
we  would  question  thee.  O  mother  more  spacious  than  a 
city !  O  mother  broader  than  the  unfolding  of  the  hea- 
vens !  O  mother  having  contained  Him  whom  the  seven 
heavens  could  not  contain,  and  who  having  contained  Him 
painlessly,  didst  hold  Him  sacredly  in  thy  bosom !  O 
mother  who  lying  in  secret  places  didst  give  birth  to  the 
very  manifest  Christ !  O  mother  more  extensive  than  all 
the  creation,  having  become  little  !^  All  the  apostles  sent 
me  to  thee,  that  I  might  say  to  thee,  'How  didst  thou  con- 
ceive the  boundless,  or  how  didst  thou  carry  the  insupport- 
able, or  how  didst  thou  bring  forth  such  greatness  ?'  " 

Mary  saith  to  them,  "Do  ye  ask  concerning  this  mystery  ?  (33) 
If  I  should  begin  to  tell  you,  fire  would  proceed  from  my 
mouth,  and  consume  all  the  world."  But  they  were  the 
more  united  in  asking  her.  And  she,  not  wishing  to  dis- 
regard the  apostles,  said,  "Let  us  stand  in  prayer."  And 
the  apostles  stood  behind  Mary.  But  she  saith  to  Peter, 
"Peter,  chief  and  greatest  pillar,  didst  thou  stand  behind 
us?  Did  not  our  Lord  say  that  the  head  of  the  man  is 
Christ?^  Wherefore,  now,  pray  standing  before  me."  But 
they  say  to  her,  "In  thee  the  Lord  fixed  his  tabernacle,  and 
was  well  pleased  that  thou  shouldst  carry  him;  and  thou 

^The     four     addresses     above  I  have  made  in  the  exact  order 

made  to  the  Virgin,  are  in  the  of  the  text  of   (33),  as  printed 

Ms.  found  further  on  in  a  place  by  Vassiliev,  although  it  abounds 

without    connection,   which   will  in  probable  transpositions, 
be  indicated.    I  have  placed  them         ^There  is  here  a  lacuna  in  the 

here,  which  is  their  probable  true  Ms.    Cf.  I  Cor.  xi,3. 
position.  This  is  the  only  change 


414  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

the  rather  oughtest  to  gather  us  together  for  prayer."  But 
she  said  to  them,  "Ye  are  shining  stars.^  Even  as  the 
prophet  said,  T  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  to  the  hills  whence 
Cometh  my  help.'^  Wherefore,  ye  are  the  mountains,  and 
ye  ought  to  pray."  The  apostles  say  to  her,  "It  behoveth 
the  mother  of  the  heavenly  king  to  pray."^  Mary  saith  to 
them,  "According  to  your  image,  God  fashioned  the  spar- 
rows, and  sent  them  to  the  four  corners  of  the  world."* 
They  say  to  her,  "He  who  is  scarcely  contained  in  the  seven 
heavens  was  well  pleased  to  be  contained  in  thee." 
(22)  And  Mary  stood  before  them,  and  began  to  say,  as  fol- 
loweth :  "Elphoue,  Zarethra,  Charboum,  Nemioth,  Melitho, 
Thraboutha,  Mophnoumoe,  Chemiath,  Aroura,  Maridon, 
Elison,  Marmiadon,  Sephon,  Esaboutha,  Ennouna,  Sak- 
tinos  Athour,  Belelam,  Opheoth,  Abio,  Chrasar."^  Which 
is,  in  the  Greek  tongue,  "God,  the  very  great  and  all-wise 
and  King  of  the  ages,  the  imdeclarable  and  unspeakable; 
who  by  a  word  didst  sustain  all  the  magnitude  of  the  heav- 
ens ;  who  out  of  concordant  darkness  didst  establish  and 
join  together  the  heavenly  poles ;  who  didst  linger  at  the 
creation  of  matter  until  the  third  day;*^  who  didst  bring  the 
disordered  into  system ;  who  didst  separate  the  gloomy  dark- 
ness from  the  light ;  who  didst  establish  the  foundations  of 

^Cf.  Dan.  xii.3.  mulae,  see  chaps.  XX,  XXXII. 

*Ps.  cxxi.i.  *There  is  a  small  lacuna  in  the 

^Again  there   is  a  gap  in  the  Ms.  here.     I  am  not  certain  that 

Ms.  and  the  word  "pray"  is  partly  this  translation  is  correct,  which 

conjectural.  would  mean   that   not   until  the 

^A  reference,  evidently,  to  the  third  day  did  God  bring  matter 

oft-repeated  story  of  how  Christ  into    final    form,    a    view    that 

made  sparrows  out  of  clay.     See  agrees  with  Gen.  i.io.     It  might 

chaps.  IX  and  XL     The  Arabic  also    be    rendered,    "who    didst 

Gospel  of  the  Infancy  seems  to  create   the   forests   on  the  third 

have  been  the  one  here  drawn  on  day,"  which  would  equally  agree 

directly;  it,  in  chap.  46,  gives  the  with  Gen.  i.ii,  or  possibly  also, 

exact  number,  twelve  sparrows,  "who  didst  create  the  wood  (i.  e. 

and  uses  language  that  might  be  of  the  cross)  on  the  third  day." 

interpreted  to  mean,  "sent  them  Mystical  allusions  to  this  last  are 

to  the  four  corners  of  the  world."  always  to  be  looked  for  in  such 

Tor  other  magical  prayer  for-  documents. 


MARY  TELLS  OF  THE  ANNUNCIATION    415 

the  waters  upon  Himself  ;^  who  being  the  course  of  the  celes- 
tial, also  didst  appear  as  the  terror  of  the  terrestrial;  who 
didst  establish  the  earth,  and  wert  not  pleased  to  destroy  it, 
when  for  food  for  all  who  pleased  the  Father  thou  didst  fill 
the  earth  with  showers !-  Thou  whom  the  seven  heavens 
scarcely  contained  wert  well  pleased  to  be  contained  by  me 
without  pain,  thus  becoming  the  complete  Word  of  the 
Father ;  and  by  thee  all  things  come  to  pass.  Give  glory  to 
thy  very  great  name,  and  bid  me  speak  in  the  presence  of 
thy  holy  apostles." 

And  having  completed  the  prayer,  Mary  began  to  say  to  (22) 
the  apostles,  "Let  us  sit  upon  the  ground.  And  do  thou, 
O  Peter,  the  chief,  come  and  sit  on  my  right  hand,  and 
place  thy  left  hand  under  my  armpit.  And  do  thou,  An- 
drew, do  in  like  manner.  And  do  thou,  John,  virgin,  sup- 
port my  breast.  And  do  thou,  Bartholomew,  apply  thy 
knees  to  my  shoulders  and  squeeze  my  shoulders  together, 
lest  when  I  have  begun  to  speak,  my  bones  give  way."  And 
when  they  did  so,  she  began  to  speak,  "When  I  was  in  the 
temple  of  God,  having  received  food  from  the  hand  of  an 
angel,  on  one  of  the  days  an  angel  appeared  to  me.  As  for 
the  appearance  of  the  angel,  his  face  was  gigantic,  and  he 
did  not  have  in  his  hand  bread  or  cup  like  the  angel  that 
came  to  me  before.^  And  immediately  the  veil  of  the  tem- 
ple was  rent,  and  there  was  a  very  great  earthquake ;  and  I 
fell  upon  the  earth,  and  could  not  bear  his  presence.  And 
he  put  his  hand  under  me  and  raised  me  up ;  and  I  looked 
toward  heaven,  and  there  came  a  cloud  of  dew  upon  my  face 
and  sprinkled  me  from  head  to  foot ;  and  he  wiped  me  with 
his  robe,  and  said  to  me,  'Hail !  highly- favoured,  chosen 
vessel  and  unceasing  grace!'  And  he  struck  the  right  side 
of  his  robe,  and  it  became  a  very  large  piece  of  bread  ;*  and 
he  placed  it  upon  the  altar  of  the  temple;  and  he  himself 

*Cf.  Gen.  i.i-io.  many    other,    particularly     Mo- 

"Cf.  Gen.  ii.6;  Ps.  lxv.9,  etc.  hammedan,  documents. 

Tor  the  legend  that  Mary  was  ^Referring  to  the  Eastern  cus- 

fed  by  the  angels  in  the  temple,  tom   of  making  bread   in   large 

see    chap.    II.     It    is    found    in  thin  rolls,  which  would  look  not 

Pseudo-Matthew,  chap.  6,  and  in  unlike  the  cloth  of  a  robe. 


4i6  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

ate  first,  and  gave  to  me.  And  I  looked  and  saw  a  cup  of 
wine.  And  he  placed  it  upon  the  altar  of  the  temple,  and 
himself  drank  first  and  gave  to  me ;  and  I  looked  and  saw  the 
fulness  of  the  bread  and  cup.^  And  he  said  to  me,  'Yet 
three  years,  and  I  will  send  to  thee  my  Word.  And  thou 
shalt  conceive  my  Son ;  and  through  him  all  my  creation  shall 
be  saved.  Peace  be  to  thee,  highly-favoured  one ;  and  in  thee 
shall  be  my  peace  forever.^  And  having  said  these  things 
to  me,  he  disappeared  from  mine  eyes,  and  the  temple  became 
as  it  was  before." 

(33)  Now  when  Mary  said  these  things,  fire  came  out  of  her 
mouth,  and  was  about  to  finish  the  world.  Jesus  came  run- 
ning, and  saith  to  her,  "Fear  not  this,  since  all  my  creation 
is  perfected  to-day."  And  the  apostles  were  affected  with 
fear  lest  God  were  angry  with  them.  And  the  Lord  de- 
parted with  them  into  the  mountain,  and  seated  himself  in 
the  midst  of  them.  And  they  were  in  doubt,  fearing  to 
see  him.  And  Jesus,  answering,  saith  to  them,  "Ask  me 
what  ye  wish  that  I  may  teach  you  and  show  you;  for  yet 
seven  days  and  I  will  go  to  my  Father,  and  I  will  not  any 
longer  be  seen  by  you  in  this  form."  They  doubting,  say  to 
him,  "Lord,  show  us  the  abyss,  according  to  thy  promise." 
And  he  said,  "It  is  not  well  for  you  to  see  the  abyss ;  but  if 
according  to  my  promise  ye  wish  it,  come,  accompany  me, 
and  see." 

(33)  And  the  Lord  led  them  away  to  a  place  called  Cherubim 
because  it  is  the  place  of  truth.  And  he  beckoned  to  two 
angels ;  and  the  earth  was  rolled  up  as  a  book,  and  the  abyss 
was  revealed  to  them.  Seeing  it,  the  apostles  fell  on  their 
faces  upon  the  earth.  And  Jesus  raised  them  up,  saying, 
"Did  I  not  tell  you  that  it  is  not  good  to  see  the  abyss?"* 
And  again  he  nodded  to  the  angels,  and  the  abyss  was  con- 
cealed.   And  taking  them,  he  went  away  to  the  Mount  of 

*The    mystical    foreshadowing  Nazarenes,  see  chap.  XV. 
of  the  eucharist  here  intended  is         *The  account  here  bears  great 

quite  evident.  resemblance  to  that  embodied  in 

^The    language    here    used  is  the   Teachings   of   Jesus    Christ 

very  similar  to  words  quoted  by  to  His  Disciples,  see  chap.  XX. 
Jerome  from  the  Gospel  of  the 


A  RESULT  OF  EVE'S  SIN  417 

Olives.  But  Peter  said  to  Mary,  "Highly-favoured  one,  pray 
the  Lord  that  he  may  reveal  to  us  all  things  that  are  in  the 
heavens."  And  Mary  said  to  Peter,  "Peter  the  corner- 
stone, did  he  not  make  thee^  the  foundation  upon  which  he 
built  the  Church?  Do  thou,  therefore,  go  first  and  ask 
him."  Again  Peter  saith,  "Do  thou,  the  tabernacle^  in  v^hich 
he  was  carried  about,  ask  him."  Mary  saith,  "Thou  art  the 
image  of  Adam.  Was  he  not  formed  thus,  and  Eve  thus? 
Behold  the  sun,  because  according  to  the  likeness  of  Adam 
is  its  brightness ;  but  on  account  of  the  transgression  of  Eve, 
behold  the  moon,  because  clay  hath  been  supplied  to  it.  For 
God  placed  Adam  at  the  east,  but  Eve  at  the  west,  and  or- 
dained the  stars  that  they  should  shine  upon  the  earth ;  the 
sun  to  shine  upon  Adam  from  the  east  with  fiery  chariots, 
but  the  moon  from  the  west  to  give  to  Eve  a  milky-appearing 
light.  And  the  command  of  the  Lord  remained  firm.  On 
this  account,  the  moon  was  turned  into  clay,  and  doth  not 
make  bright  her  light. ^  Wherefore,  since  thou  art  the  image 
of  Adam,  thou  oughtest  to  ask ;  but  in  me  he  had  space  on 
account  of  my  being  called  the  strength  of  the  females." 

And  when  the  master  went  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  (33) 
and  went  on  a  little  from  them,  Peter  saith  to  Mary,  "If  thou 
hast  abolished  the  power  of  Eve,  and  changed  it  from  dis- 
grace to  grace,  to  thee  it  is  lawful  to  ask."  Jesus  again  ap- 
pearing, Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "Lord,  show  us  the 
adversary  of  men,  that  we  may  see  of  what  sort  he  is,  or 
what  is  his  work,  or  whence  he  rusheth  forth,  or  what  power 

'Something    appears    to    have  curious  lore  of  the  kind.   I  judge 

fallen  out  of  the  text  here.  that  the  above  Manichaean  leg- 

^Again    there    is    an    apparent  end  has  been  derived  from  this, 

lacuna ;  I  have  supplied  the  Eng-  See  also  Fabricius,  Vet.  Test.,  I, 

lish  words,  "Do  thou  ask  him."  p.  s,  about  Adam  the  apostle  of 

^The    Rabbins    taught    that    in  the     moon.     Another     tradition 

the    beginning    God    made    the  says  that  Satan  in  his  fall  spat 

moon  as  large  and  bright  as  the  in  his  hatred  towards  God ;  his 

sun,  but  reduced  its  size  because  spittle    stained    the    moon,    and 

it  said  to  him,  "O  Lord  of  the  thus  accounts  for  its  spots.    The 

world,  can  two  kings  wear  one  Cathari     (Manichaean    heretics) 

crown?"  etc.     See  Eisenmenger,  say  that  the  sun  is  the  devil  him- 

Ij  P-  39)  for  this,  and  much  more  self,  and  the  moon  is  Eve. 


4i8  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

he  hath;  because  he  did  not  even  spare  thee  thyself,  but 
caused  thee  to  be  suspended  upon  the  tree."  Jesus,  looking 
upon  him,  saith  to  him,  "O  stern  heart !  thou  askest  things 
which  thou  art  not  able  to  behold."  Bartholomew  being  in 
terror,  fell  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  began  to  speak  in  this 
manner,  "Unquenchable  light,  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  one 
without  end,  who  givest  grace  through  all  the  world  to  those 
who  love  thee,  who  givest  the  eternal  light  through  thy 
presence  in  the  world,  who  didst  finish  the  work  of  the  crea- 
tion which  is  above,  by  the  Word  of  the  Father,  who  didst 
change  the  gloomy  visage  of  Adam  into  cheerfulness,  who 
didst  change  the  grief  of  Eve  to  a  pleasing  countenance 
through  the  birth  from  a  virgin  mother,  who  forgetting  in- 
juries yieldest  to  me  the  word  of  interrogation !"  And  when 
he  said  these  things,  Jesus  raised  him  up,  and  saith  to  him, 
"Bartholomew,  dost  thou  wish  to  see  the  antagonist  of  men? 
But  I  say  that  looking  upon  him,  not  thou  only,  but  the  apos- 
tles with  thee,  and  Mary  will  fall  upon  your  faces,  and  be- 
come as  dead," 
(33)  But  they  all  said  to  him,  "Lord,  we  would  see  him  together 
with  the  infernal  angels."  But  he  beckoned  to  Michael  to 
sound  the  trumpet  in  the  height  of  the  heavens ;  and  the  earth 
was  shaken ;  and  Beliar^  came  forth  held  in  check,  being 
bound  under  six  hundred  and  sixty-three  fiery  chains.^  His 
length  was  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  cubits,  and  his 
breadth  forty  cubits;  his  countenance  was  as  the  flash  of 
fire,  and  his  eyes  gloomy;  and  from  his  nostrils  there  went 
out  an  ill-smelling  smoke.  And  his  mouth  was  as  a  chasm 
of  ice ;  one  of  his  wings  was  eighty  cubits.^     And  straight- 

^The    name    is    identical    with  perhaps    originally   666,   may  be 

the  Belial  of  II  Cor.  vi.is;  Dent.  suggested  by  the  number  of  the 

xiii.13,    etc.;     other    forms    are  beast,  Rev.  xiii.18;  for  the  bind- 

Beriar,  Beliac;  his  general  iden-  ing  of  Satan,  cf.  Rev.  xx.2. 

tification  in  apocryphal  literature  ^Descriptions  of  the  enormous 

is  with  Satan  regarded  as  Anti-  size  and  deformity  of  Antichrist 

Christ ;    see  Sibylline  Books,  II,  are  found  in  a  great  many  of  the 

167;    the    Ascension    of    Isaiah,  numerous     Apocryphal     Apoca- 

etc.  lypses ;  see  chap.  XXI  for  other 

^The    number    of   the    chains,  notes  on  the  subject. 


BARTHOLOMEW  QUESTIONS  BELIAR      419 

way,  when  all  the  apostles  saw  him,  they  fell  upon  their  faces 
to  the  earth,  and  were  as  dead.  But  Jesus,  coming  near, 
raised  up  the  apostles,  and  gave  them  the  spirit  of  power,  and 
saith  to  Bartholomew,  "Come  near,  Bartholomew,  and  tram- 
ple with  thy  feet  upon  his  neck.  And  I  will  tell  thee  his  work, 
what  it  is,  and  how  he  deceiveth  men,"  But  Jesus  stood 
afar  ofif  with  the  apostles.^  And  Bartholomew  being  afraid, 
saith,  "Lord  Jesus,  grant  me  the  hem  of  thy  garments  that 
I  may  be  bold  towards  him."  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "Thou 
canst  not  take  the  hem  of  my  garments,  for  these  are  not  the 
garments  which  I  wore  before  my  crucifixion."  Bartholo- 
mew saith,  "I  was  afraid,  Lord,  since  one  like  the  angels  was 
not  spared,  lest  he  might  also  devour  me."  Christ  saith  to 
him,  "Is  it  not  by  my  word  that  all  things  exist,  and  by  the 
will  of  my  Father  are  subject  to  the  spirit  which  was  in 
Solomon?-  Do  thou,  therefore,  having  given  him  com- 
mandment in  my  name,  go  and  ask  him  whatsoever  thou 
wishest."  And  Bartholomew,  having  trodden  on  his  neck, 
averted  his  face  to  the  earth,  even  to  his  hearing.^  And 
Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "Tell  me  who  thou  art,  and  what 
thy  name  is."  But  he  saith  to  him,  "Lighten  me  a  little,  and 
I  will  tell  thee  who  I  am,  and  how  I  came  here,  and  what 
my  work  is,  and  what  my  power  is."* 

And     Bartholomew,    having    lightened    him,     saith    to  (33) 
him,    "Tell    me    all    things    which    thou    hast    done    and 
what    thou    doest."      Beliar,    answering,    saith,    "If    thou 

^Here  was  interpolated  the  ad-  present     participle,     nominative, 

dress  to  the  Virgin  given  earher  masculine,    with   the    neuter   ar- 

in  this  chapter  and  there  noted.  tide,  evidently  used  as  a  noun; 

^The  subjection  of  the  animate  the  above  seems  to  be  the  near- 
world,  and  of  all  spirits,  to  Sol-  est  literal  translation,  whatever 
omon  was  a  favourite  subject  of  the  meaning  is.  The  Ms. abounds 
Rabbinical,  as  well  as  later  of  in  similar  curious  uses  of  Greek. 
INIohammedan  legends ;  the  de-  *The  language  here,  and  in 
tails  are  voluminous.  A  full  several  of  the  paragraphs  fol- 
sketch  of  them  in  English  is  lowing,  is  similar  and  evidently 
found  in  Baring-Gould's  Leg-  related  to  that  of  the  Contro- 
ends  of  O.  T.  Characters,  II,  p.  versy  of  the  Devil  with  Jesus 
178  seq.  Christ,  given  in  chap.  XXI. 

'This  word  is  in  the  text  the 


420  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

wishest  to  learn  my  name,  I  was  at  first  called  Satan- 
ael/  which  is,  being  interpreted,  a  traitor  to  God.  But 
then,  not  knowing  the  antitype  to  God,  my  name  was 
also  called  Satan,  which  is  an  infernal  angel."  And 
again  Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "Reveal  all  things  to  me, 
and  conceal  nothing  from  me."  But  he  said  to  him,  "I 
swear  to  thee  by  the  power  of  the  glory  of  God,  that  if  I 
wished  to  conceal,  I  could  not ;  for  He  that  refuteth  me 
standeth  by.  For  if  I  were  able,  I  would  destroy  you  like 
one  of  those  before  you.  For  I  was  the  first  angel  who  was 
deceived.  For  when  God  made  the  heavens.  He  took  a  hand- 
ful of  fire  and  formed  me  first,  next  Michael ;-  for  He  wished 
that  we  should  be  His  first  son  as  to  the  heavens  and  the 
earth.  For  when  He  purposed  the  creation  of  all  things, 
He  spake  the  word.  His  Son  was  created,  and  we  by  the  will 
of  the  Son  and  by  the  counsel  of  the  Father.  He  formed 
me  first ;  second,  Michael  the  chief  leader  of  the  powers  above ; 
third,  Gabriel ;  fourth,  Uriel ;  fifth,  Raphael ;  sixth,  Nathan- 
iel ;  and  the  other  angels  whose  names  I  cannot  tell.  For  they 
are  the  lictors  of  God,  and  pursue  me  with  rods  seven  times 
during  the  night,  and  seven  times  during  the  day,  and  do  not 
let  me  alone  at  any  time,  and  conceal  all  my  power.  These  are 
the  angels  of  vengeance  who  stand  near  the  throne  of  God. 
These  were  the  first  angels  formed,  and  after  them  all  the 
angels  were  formed.  In  the  first  heaven  there  are  an  hun- 
dred myriads,  and  in  the  second  an  hundred  myriads,  and  in 
the  third  an  hundred  myriads,  and  in  the  fourth  an  hundred 
myriads,  and  in  the  fifth  an  hundred  myriads,  and  in  the  sixth 
an  hundred  myriads,  and  in  the  seventh,  where  are  the  pow- 
ers that  work  among  men,  is  the  first  petalon.^  For  there  are 
other  angels   over  the  winds.     One   angel   who   is   called 

^This  name  is  frequently  Mohammedan  historian,  Mo- 
found  in  apocryphal  literature,  hammed  Djafar  al  Tabari. 
and  presents  a  form  analogous  ^I  suppose  the  reference  here 
to  that  of  Michael,  Gabriel,  and  intended  is  to  the  golden  plate 
the  most  of  the  Hebrew  names  on  the  high  priest's  mitre;  see 
of  the  angels.  note  on  chap.  I ;  this  first  petalon 

'The    creation    of    the    angels  of    angels    would    be    the    inner 

from   fire   is   mentioned   by   the  circle    that    stood    nearest    the 


THE  ANGELS  OVER  THE  WINDS  421 

Chairoiim  is  over  the  north  wind,  and  holdeth  in  his  hand 
a  fiery  rod,  and  restraineth  its  excessive  moisture,  that  the 
earth  may  not  be  dried  up.^  And  the  angel  which  is  over 
Aparpsetos^  is  called  Ertha.  He  holdeth  a  lamp  of  fire,  and 
placeth  it  to  his  sides  and  warmeth  his  coldness,  lest  he  might 
congeal  the  world.  And  the  angel  over  the  south  wind  is 
called  Kerkoutha,  and  he  moderateth  its  violence  so  as  not 
to  shake  the  earth.  And  the  angel  over  Liba  is  called 
Naoutha,  and  he  hath  a  snowy  rod  in  his  hand ;  and  he  plac- 
eth it  to  his  mouth,  and  quencheth  the  fire  coming  out  of  his 
mouth.  And  if  it  were  not  for  the  angel  over  his  mouth,  he 
would  consume  all  the  world.^  And  another  angel  is  over 
the  sea,  who  maketh  it  bold  by  means  of  the  waves.  The 
rest,  I  will  not  tell  thee,  for  the  one  who  standeth  by  doth 
not  permit  me." 

Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  ''How  dost  thou  train  the  souls  (33) 
of  men?"  Beliar  saith  to  him,  "If  thou  wishest,  I  will  an- 
nounce to  thee  the  knowledge  of  hypocrites,  of  slanderers 
and  robbers,  of  idolaters,  of  the  avaricious,  of  adulterers,  of 
enchanters,  of  soothsayers,  of  those  who  believe  on  us,  and  of 
all  of  whom  I  may  think."  Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "I 
would  fain  learn  briefly  about  these  things."  And  Beliar 
gnashed  his  teeth ;  and  there  came  a  wheel*  out  from  the 
abyss,  having  a  sword  shining  like  fire ;  and  the  sword  had 
pipes  in  it.  And  Bartholomew  asked  him,  saying,  "What 
is  this  sword?"  And  he  said,  "This  is  the  sword  of  the 
gluttonous ;  for  into  this  pipe  they  are  sent,  because  they 
discover  every  sin  through  gluttony.  Into  the  second  pipe 
are  sent  the  slanderers,  who  calumniate  their  neighbours 
secretly.     Into  the  third  pipe  are  sent  the  hypocrites  and  the 

throne    of    God.     Metatron,    the  assumed  to  be  of  Gnostic  origin, 

angel  of  the  Presence,  is  another  Cf.  also  Rev.  vii.i;  xvi.5. 

expression  of  the  same  idea.  "Greek,  &Trapil/€Tov.     I  do  not 

^This  lore  about  the  angels  of  know  the  meaning,  and  whether 

the  winds  is  evidently  ultimately  a  reference  to  the  east  or  west 

drawn  from  the  Book  of  Enoch,  wind  is  intended. 

see  chaps.   Ixxv-vi.     These  bar-  ^The  text  is  depraved  here, 

barous  names  of  the  angels  do  *Cf.  Ezek.  i.15  seq. 
not  appear  there ;   they  may  be 
31 


422  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS 

rest  whom  I  overthrow  by  my  designs."  But  Bartholomew 
saith,  "Dost  thou  do  these  things  by  thyself,  then?"  Satan 
saith,  "If  I  were  able  to  go  out  of  myself,  I  would  utterly 
destroy  the  whole  earth  in  three  days ;  but  neither  I,  nor  one 
of  the  six  hundred  can  go  out.  For  we  have  other  swift 
servants  whom  we  command,  and  invest  with  many  hooks,^ 
and  we  send  them  a-hunting,  and  they  ensnare  for  us  the 
souls  of  men,  soothing  them  with  different  sweets,  that  is 
with  drunkenness,  and  frivolity,  with  slander,  with  counter- 
feits of  pleasures,  with  fornication,  or  with  the  other  ofifences 
of  our  treasury.  But  I  will  tell  you  the  remaining  names  of 
the  angels.  The  angel  of  hail  is  called  ]\Iermeoth,  and  he 
holdeth  the  hail  upon  his  head.  And  my  ministers  bind  him 
with  an  oath,  and  send  him  wherever  they  wish.  And  there 
are  other  angels  over  hail,  and  other  angels  over  thunder,  and 
other  angels  over  lightning.^  And  when  a  spirit  wisheth  to 
go  out  from  us,  either  through  the  earth  or  through  the  sea, 
these  angels  send  out  fiery  stones,and  they  kindle  our  limbs."^ 
(^;^2)  Bartholomew  saith,  "Be  silent,  dragon  of  the  deep  "  But 
Beliar  said,  "I  can  tell  you  many  things  concerning  the 
angels.  Those  who  run  about  over  the  regions  of  heaven  and 
earth,  are  these :  Mermeoth,  Onomatath,  Douth,  Melioth, 
Charouth,  Graphathas,  Oethra,  Nephonos,  Chalkatoura. 
By  these  flights  are  made  over  heaven  and  earth,  and  the 
regions  under  the  earth."  Bartholomew  saith,  "Be  silent, 
and  pay  no  attention  to  these  things  for  a  little,  that  I  may 
sift  them  through  our  Lord." 

*Very    similar    to    the    Coptic  'Evidently    an    explanation    of 

fragment  incorporated  into  chap.  the  appearance  of  meteors.    Mo- 

XXI,    near    the    end;    there    is  hammedan  legend  says  of  these, 

probably  a  connection.  that  they  are  fiery  lances  hurled 

''See    Book    of    Enoch,    chap,  by  the  good  angels  at  the  wicked 

Ixxv.  jinns. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED. 

Bartholomew's  Prayer — Revelations  concerning  the 
Creation  of  Man — Satan's  Fall — Eve's  Temptation 
— Another  Prayer  —  The  Rivers  of  Paradise  — 
Christ's  Names  explained — The  Greatest  Sins — The 
Apostles  desire  to  see  the  Blessed  Ones — This  Vision 
— That  of  Paradise — Of  Hell — Its  Many  Torments 
— Christ's  Appearances  to  the  Apostles — The  Eu- 
charist IN  Galilee — The  Apostles'  Sins  forgiven. 

Main  Sources:   (33) — Questions  of  Bartholomew. 
(52) — Apocalypse  of  Peter,  1-33. 
(53) — Pistis  Sophia. 
C54) — Conflict  of  St.  Thomas,  i,  2. 

And  Bartholomew  having  fallen  on  his  face,  and  throwing  (33) 
earth  upon  his  head,  began  thus  to  speak,^  "Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  great  and  glorious  name,  even  all  the  choirs  of 
angels  praise  thee,  master!  And  I,  an  unworthy  one,  having 
moved  the  instrument^  with  my  lips,  praise  thee,  master ! 
Hearken  to  me,  thy  servant,  that  I  may  be  delivered  from 
the  seat  of  the  publican;  and  mayest  thou  grant  me  not  to 
be  turned  back  to  my  former  deeds  until  the  end.  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  hear  me,  and  have  mercy  on  sinners !" 

Upon  his  saying  these  things, the  Lord  saith  to  him,"Arise,  {3^) 
turn  to  the  one  who  is  groaning,  and  I  will  tell  unto  thee  the 
rest."   And  Bartholomew  raised  up  Satan,  and  said  to  him, 
"Go  to  thine  own  place^  with  thy  prizes,  but  the  Lord  hath 

'The  first  half  of  this  chapter  ^Greek,  opyavov. 

consists   of   the   remaining   part         ^Cf.  Acts  i.25. 
of  (33). 

(423) 


424     THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

pity  on  all  the  world."  But  the  devil  said,  "Suffer  that  I  tell 
thee  how  I  was  cast  down  here,  and  how  God  made  man.  I 
was  going  about  in  the  world,  and  God  said  to  Michael, 
'Bring  me  a  clod  from  each  of  the  four  extremities  of  the 
earth,  and  water  from  the  four  rivers  of  paradise.'^  And 
when  Michael  brought  these,  He  made  Adam  in  the  regions 
of  the  East,  shaping  the  shapeless  clod,  stretching  the  sinews 
and  veins ;  and  bringing  them  together  in  harmony.  He 
worshipped  him ;  and  He,  on  His  own  account  first,  because 
he  was  His  image,  worshipped  him.^  And  Michael  said  to 
me,  as  I  was  coming  from  the  remotest  parts,  'Worship  the 
image  of  God,  which  He  formed  according  to  His  own  like- 
ness.'^ But  I  said,  T  was  made  of  fire,  I  was  the  first  angel 
made ;  and  shall  I  worship  clay  and  moisture  ?'  And  Michael 
saith  to  me,  'Worship,  lest  God  be  angry  with  thee.'  But  I 
said  to  him,  'God  shall  not  be  angry  with  me,  but  I  will  place 
my  throne  over  against  His  throne,  and  will  be  even  like 
Him.'*  Then  God,  being  angry  with  me,  cast  me  down,  hav- 
ing commanded  the  gates  of  heaven  to  be  opened.  And  when 
I  was  thrown  out,  He  also  asked  the  six  hundred  who  were 
under  me  if  they  were  willing  to  worship.  They  said,  'Even 
as  we  saw  the  first,  neither  will  we  worship  one  inferior  to 
us.'  Then  also  the  six  hundred  under  me  were  stupefied  for 
forty  years ;  and  the  sun  shining  seven-fold  brighter  than 
fire,  suddenly  I  awoke  from  sleep.    And  looking  about,  I  saw 

*The    creation    of    man    from  although  the  text  is  ambiguous, 

earth     brought     from     diflferent  and  the  pronoun  might  possibly 

quarters  of  the  world  is  a  Rab-  refer  to  the  latter, 

binical  story  told  in  many  forms,  ^Cf.  Gen.  i.26,  etc. 

see    Eisenmenger,    I,    364    seq.,  *Cf.   Is.   xiv.12-14;    also   Rev. 

830.    Many  sources  are  assigned  xii.7-9.      The      fall      of     Satan 

to  the  earth  used.     The  story  is  through    pride    is    accepted    by 

also  told  by  Mohammedan  writ-  practically  all  theology,  and  the 

ers ;  according  to  them,  the  earth  story  that  the   immediate   occa- 

of   which   the   head    and   breast  sion  was  his  refusal  to  worship 

were   made   was   brought    from  the  newly-made  man,  is  told  by 

Mecca  and  Medina.  the    Rabbins,    by    Mohammedan 

^I  take  it  that  the  meaning  is  writers,  and  by  many  Christian 

here,  that  God  Himself,  and  not  documents. 
Michael,    worshipped   the    man, 


THE  STORY  OF  SATAN'S  FALL     425 

the  six  hundred  under  me  stupefied,  and  they  awoke  my  son 
Salpsa.^  And  having  counselled  with  them  as  to  how  I  might 
seduce  the  man,  on  whose  account  I  was  cast  down  from 
heaven,^  I  decided  it  in  my  mind  in  this  manner.  I  took  a 
vial  in  my  hand,  and  poured  out  the  sweat  of  my  breast  and  of 
my  hair,  and  washed  myself  at  the  goings  out  of  the  waters 
whence  the  four  rivers  flow  ;  and  Eve,  having  drunken,  enter- 
tained a  longing.  For  if  she  had  not  drunken  this  water,  she 
could  not  have  been  led  astray."^ 

Then  Bartholomew  commanded  Beliar  to  enter  into  Hades.  (33) 
And  Bartholomew  came,  and  falling  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
began  with  tears  thus  to  speak,  "O  my  Father!  O  Word 
of  the  Father,  which  cannot  be  investigated  by  us !  Thou 
whom  the  seven  heavens  hardly  contained,  rejoicing  within 
the  dwelling  of  the  virgin,  wast  pleased  to  be  born  pain- 
lessly ;  whom  the  virgin  bearing  thee  did  not  perceive,  but 
thou  by  thy  understanding  didst  appoint  all  things  which 
exist !  Thou  didst  give  us  free  will  offerings  before  thou 
wast  entreated  I  Thou  didst  wear  a  crown  of  thorns,  that 
thou  mightest  prepare  for  us  who  repent  a  very  precious 
crown  from  heaven !  Upon  the  tree  wert  thou  suspended, 
that  thou  mightest  drink  for  us  the  wine  of  affliction ;  and 
thy  side  was  pierced  with  a  spear,  that  thou  mightest  fill  us 
with  thy  body  and  with  thy  blood !  Thou  didst  give  names 
to  the  four  rivers;  to  the  first,  Pheson,*  on  account  of  the 

^Of  this  word  I  know  nothing.  ^1  have  not  elsewhere  met  this 

It  does  not  appear  in  the  Greek  story    in    exactly    similar    form; 

text  to  be  a  proper  name,  and  I  one  that  suggests  it  is  found  in 

can  make  no  guess  at  the  true  the    Book    of    the     Combat    of 

meaning  or  allusion.  Adam,    Migne,    I,    col.    332 ;    I 

''The  few  preceding  sentences  would  suspect  that  it  might  be 
have  remarkable  correspondence  from  the  lost  Gospel  of  Eve; 
with  the  argument  of  Milton's  nearly  all  Gnostic  works  connect 
Paradise  Lost,  canto  I,  regard-  carnal  sin  with  Eve's  transgres- 
ing  Satan's  fall,  the  burning  sion.  Many  of  these  heretics 
strand,  and  his  arousing  the  an-  taught  that  Satan  himself  sinned 
gels  from  their  stupefaction,  with  Eve,  and  that  Cain  was  his 
Milton  must  have  known  some  offspring.  See  Fabricius,  Vet- 
account  that  reproduced  practic-  Test.,  I,  p.  95  seq. 
ally  this  same  apocryphal  story.  ^I  have  given  the  Greek  forms 


426  THE  FORTY  DAYS    CONCLUDED 

faith  which  thou  didst  preach,  being  manifest  in  the  world; 
to  the  second,  Geon,^  on  account  of  the  man's  being  earthy; 
to  the  third,  Tigris,^  on  account  of  thy  disclosure  to  us  of  the 
three-fold  essence  which  existeth  in  the  heavens ;  to  the 
fourth,  Euphrates,^  because  thou  being  present  in  the  world 
dost  gladden  every  soul  through  the  word  of  cleansing.  My 
God  and  greatest  Father  and  King,  save,  Lord,  the  sinful !" 
(33)  When  he  had  thus  prayed,  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "Bartholo- 
mew, the  Father  called  me  Christ,*  in  order  that  I  might 
come  to  earth  and  anoint  every  man  who  came,  with  the  oil 
of  life.°  And  he  called  me  Jesus,*'  in  order  that  I  might  heal 
every  sin  of  the  ignorant  by  means  of  God,  or  else  might 
grant  divine  prayer  to  men."  And  again  Bartholomew  saith 
to  him,  "Lord,  may  one  reveal  these  mysteries  to  every 
man?"  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "Bartholomew  my  beloved,  it  is 
proper  to  reveal  them  to  as  many  as  are  faithful  and  able 
to  keep  these  things  to  themselves  ;  believe  these  things.  For, 
indeed,  there  are  those  who  are  unworthy  of  them,  and 
others  who  are  not  able  to  do  them.  For  there  are  boasters, 
drunkards,  haughty,  merciless,  partakers  in  idolatry,  fathers 
of  fornication,  slanderers,  teachers  of  vain  boasting,  and 
those  doing  all  such  things,  which  are  works  of  the  devil; 
and  on  this  account  they  are  not  worthy  to  believe  these 
things.  For  they  are  concealed  so  that  these  should  not 
comprehend  them.  For  as  many  as  comprehend  these 
things,  have  part  in  them.     Wherefore,  in  this,  my  beloved, 

of   the   names    of   these    rivers ;  *Again  a  pun  with  the  word 

see  Gen.  ii.io-14.    The  Sept.  for  "anoint,"     which,     as     is     well 

this  one  has   Phison.     Above  is  known,  is  the  root  of  the  name. 

an  attempt  at  a  pun,  a  very  bad  ^See  notes  on  the  oil  of  mercy, 

one,  on  the  Greek  word  "mani-  chap.    XXVIII,    etc.;   the   refer- 

fest."  ence    here    seems    to   be    to    the 

'A    pun    on    the    Greek    word  chrism  of  baptism, 

"earthy."  °A    bad    pun    with    the    word 

"This    agrees    with    the    Sept.  "head,"   but    the    suggested   pun 

of  Gen.  ii.14;  the  pun  is  with  the  with  a  word  in  the   last  clause 

Greek  "threefold."  does  not  appear;   perhaps  some 

^A    bad    pun    with    the    word  wholly    inappropriate    word    has 

"gladden."  dropped  out  of  the  text. 


THE  GREATEST  SINS  DISCUSSED         427 

I  have  told  thee  that  thou  art  blessed,  and  all  thy  kindred 
who  through  praise  believe  in  this  word;  because  all  who 
receive  these  things  are  blessed.^  But  those  who  wish  not 
to  believe  in  them  shall  be  taken  of  my  judgment."^ 

Then  Bartholomew,  having  written  these  things  in  his  (33) 
heart,  and  having  seized  the  hand  of  the  benefactor,  began  to 
leap  for  joy,  and  to  say  thus,  "Glory  to  thee,  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  hast  given  to  all  thy  grace  which  we  all  beheld. 
Hallelujah !  Glory  to  thee,  Lord,  the  life  of  sinners !  Glory 
to  thee.  Lord,  death  is  put  to  shame !  Glory  to  thee,  Lord, 
the  treasury  of  righteousness,  for  thou  art  celebrated  as 
God !"  And  Bartholomew  having  said  these  things,  Jesus 
again  putting  off  his  cloak  and  having  taken  the  orarium^ 
from  the  neck  of  Bartholomew,  he  began  to  rejoice  and  to 
say,  "Thou  didst  substitute  thyself  for  us.  Hallelujah!  Thou 
didst  become  meek  for  us.  Hallelujah !  Glory  to  thee. 
Lord,  for  I  give  to  all  those  that  desire  of  me.*  Hallelujah  !"^ 
And  when  he  ceased,  the  apostles  loved  him,  and  gave  him 
the  peace  of  charity.® 

And  Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "Show  us.  Lord,  what  (33) 
sins  are  more  grievous  than  all  sins.     "Christ  saith  to  him,' 
"Very  grievous  are  hypocrisy  and  evil  speaking.     For  the 
prophet,  singing  psalms,  saith  in  them  that  the  wicked  shall 

'I  have  added  the  words  "are  the   Elast,  wider  than  the  Latin 

blessed,"     conjecturally ;     some-  stole.     The   anachronism   of   its 

thing  has  fallen  out  of  the  text,  introduction   here   is   evident, 

which   is   here   very   corrupt,   as  ^Something  seems  to  have  been 

also    in   the    following   sentence,  omitted  from  the  text  here, 

which     I     have     emended.     The  ^The  song  of  praise  given  by 

teaching   here    seems    to   be   de-  Bartholomew   in   this   paragraph 

rived  from    (53).  contains  some  points  of  corres- 

^Referring  to   the  teaching  of  pondence  with  the  Gnostic  hymn 

this  paragraph,  cf.  Mat.  xiii.ii;  embodied  in  chap.  XXIII. 

Luke  viii.io;   I  Cor.  iv.i ;  xiii.2.  *This  is  the  literal  translation; 

Perhaps  the  cardinal  doctrine  of  the  pax,  kiss  of  peace  or  charity, 

Gnosticism  was  that  Christ  had  is   evidently  meant, 

delivered  mysteries  to  the  apos-  ''I    have    supplied    these    four 

ties,  which  were   not  to  be   re-  words,  not  in  the  text,  which  are 

vealed  to  the  uninitiated.  plainly  required  by  the  connec- 

'A    deacon's    stole   in    use    in  .  tion. 


428     THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

not  stand  in  judgment,  or  sinners  in  the  counsel  ot  the  just, 
or  the  wicked  in  the  judgment  of  my  Father.^  Verily,  verily, 
1  say  unto  you,  that  every  sin  shall  be  remitted  to  every  man, 
but  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  not  be  remitted."^ 
Bartholomew  saith  to  him,  "What  is  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Spirit?"  Jesus  saith  to  him,  "Every  one  who  shall 
prophesy  that  every  man  shall  serve  my  Father  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  hath  blasphemed  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  Because 
every  man  who  serveth  God  reverently  is  worthy  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  will  not  give  assent  to  one  who  saith  any  wicked 
thing  against  Him."^  Woe  to  him  who  sweareth  by  the  head 
of  God,  or  committeth  perjury  against  Him;  for  there  are 
twelve  heads  of  the  Most  High  God.*  For  He  is  the  truth, 
and  in  Him  is  no  falsehood  or  perjury.^  Wherefore,  go  ye, 
preach  to  all  the  world  the  word  of  truth ;  but  do  thou,  O 
Bartholomew,  preach  this  word  to  every  one  who  is  willing, 
and  as  many  as  believe  on  Him  shall  have  eternal  life."  Bar- 
tholomew saith,  "O  Lord,  if  any  one  shall  offend  through 
carnal  sin,  what  is  the  punishment?"  Jesus  saith,  "It  is  well 
that  one  who  is  baptized  should  keep  his  baptism  blameless.® 
But  pleasure  will  make  one  a  lover  of  the  flesh ;  for  a  single 
marriage  is  most  honourable.  But  verily  I  say  unto  thee, 
that  he  who  sinneth  after  the  third  wife,^  is  unworthy  of 
God.  But  preach  ye  to  every  man  to  observe  these  things; 
for  I  am  unrequited  by  you,  and  give  unto  you  the  Holy 
Spirit."  And  Bartholomew,  with  the  apostles,  glorified  God 
to  him,  saying  fervently,  "Glory  to  Thee,  holy  Father,  un- 

*Cf.  Ps.  1.5.  curious  ideas  about  the  heads  of 

^See  Mark  iii.29;  Luke  xii.io.  God. 

'The  teaching  is  not  very  clear  ^Cf.  I  John  v.6,  etc. 

as  to  the  nature  of  this  sin;   I  'Cf.  the  logion  in  chap.  XIX, 

think     suggestions     have     been  "Keep    the    flesh    holy    and   the 

drawn  in  this  paragraph  from  a  seal    (i.   e.   of  baptism)    unspot- 

similar  discourse  of  Christ  with  ted." 

His  apostles  in  the  Pistis  Sophia,  ^The    author    regards   celibacy 

see  text  in  Migne,  I,  col.   1281  as   holiest,    a   first   marriage   as 

seq.  altogether  allowable,  second  and 

*The  apostles,  evidently.     The  third   marriages    as    permissible, 

Mohammedans   also   have    some  but  a  fourth  marriage,  as  is  still 


THE  VISION  OF  THE  BLESSED  ONES        429 

quenchable  Sun,  the  incomprehensible  One,  to  Thee  be  glory, 
honour,  and  worship  unto  the  ages  of  the  ages.     Amen."^ 

And  the  Lord  said,  "Let  us  go  into  the  mountain ;  let  us  (52) 
pray."  And  going  with  him,  the  twelve  disciples  begged 
that  he  would  show  them  one  of  their  brethren,  the  righteous 
who  are  gone  forth  out  of  the  world,  in  order  that  they  might 
see  of  what  manner  of  form  they  are,  and  having  taken 
courage,  might  also  encourage  the  men  who  hear  them.^ 

And  as  they  prayed,  suddenly  there  appeared  two  men  (52) 
standing  before  the  Lord  toward  the  East,  on  whom  they 
were  not  able  to  look  f  for  there  came  forth  from  their  coun- 
tenance a  ray  as  of  the  sun,  and  their  raiment  was  shining, 
such  as  eye  of  man*  never  saw ;  for  no  mouth  is  able  to 
express  or  heart  to  conceive  the  glory  with  which  they  were 
endued,  and  the  beauty  of  their  appearance.  And  as  the 
disciples  looked  upon  them,  they  were  astounded;  for  their 
bodies  were  whiter  than  any  snow,  and  ruddier  than  any 
rose  f  and  the  red  thereof  was  mingled  with  the  white,  and 
it  is  utterly  impossible  to  express  their  beauty ;  for  their  hair 
was  curly  and  bright  and  seemly,  both  on  their  face  and 
shoulders,  as  it  were  a  wreath  woven  of  spikenard  and 
divers-coloured  flowers,  or  like  a  rainbow  in  the  sky,  such 
was  their  seemliness.    Seeing,  therefore,  their  beauty,  the 

the     teaching     of     the     Eastern  ment,  the  rest  of  which  follows 

church,  is  adulterous.  entire,  changed  the  language  to 

^Here  ends  izz)-     (52)  begins  the  third  person;  Peter  generally 

with   the   next   paragraph.     The  speaks,  sometimes  the  apostles, 
text  of  this  document  begins  in  °This    indicates   that   the   time 

the  midst  of  a  sentence,  as  fol-  was  after  the  Resurrection,  the 

lows,  " — many  of  them  will  be  apostles  having  already  begun  to 

false    prophets,    and    will    teach  preach, 
divers  ways  and  doctrines  of  per-  ^Cf.  II  Cor.  iii.7. 

dition;    but    these    will    become         ^Cf.   I   Cor.  ii.9.    For  "ray  as 

sons    of    perdition.      And    then  of  the  sun,"  cf.  Rev.  i.i6. 
God  will  come  unto  my  faithful  ^In  the  Book  of  Enoch,  chap, 

ones  who  hunger  and  thirst  and  cvi.2,     10,     the     infant     son    of 

are    afiflicted,    and    purify    their  Lamech    is    said    to   be    "whiter 

souls  in  this  life;  and  He  will  than  the  snow  and  redder  than 

judge  the  sons  of  lawlessness."  the  rose." 
I    have    throughout    this    docu- 


430     THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

disciples  became  astounded  at  them,  since  they  appeared  sud- 
denly. And  Peter  approached  the  Lord  and  said,  "Who  are 
these?"  He  saith  to  Peter,  "These  are  your  brethren  the 
righteous,  whose  forms  ye  desired  to  see."  And  Peter  said  to 
him,  ''And  where  are  all  the  righteous  ones,  and  what  is  the 
aeon  in  which  they  are  and  have  their  glory  ?" 

(52)  And  the  Lord  showed  them^  a  very  great  country  outside 
of  this  world,  exceeding  bright  with  light,  and  the  air  there 
lighted  with  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  earth  itself  bloom- 
ing with  unfading  flowers  and  full  of  spices  and  plants,  fair- 
flowering  and  incorruptible  and  bearing  blessed  fruit.  And 
so  great  was  the  perfume  that  it  was  borne  thence  even  unto 
them.  And  the  dwellers  in  that  place  were  clad  in  the  raiment 
of  shining  angels,  and  their  raiment  was  like  unto  their 
country;  and  angels  hovered  about  them  there.  And  the 
glory  of  the  dwellers  there  was  equal,  and  with  one  voice 
they  sang  praises  alternately  to  the  Lord  God,  rejoicing  in 
that  place.  The  Lord  saith  to  the  disciples,  "This  is  the 
place  of  your  high  priests,  the  righteous  men."^ 

(52)  And  over  against  that  place  Peter  saw  another,  squalid, 
and  it  was  the  place  of  punishment ;  and  those  who  were 
punished  there  and  the  punishing  angels  had  their  raiment 
dark  like  the  air  of  the  place.  And  there  were  certain  there 
hanging  by  the  tongue ;  and  these  were  the  blasphemers  of 

'Apparently    all    the    disciples  son-flowered      meadow      before 

saw    the    vision    of   the    blessed  their  city  is  full  of  the  shade  of 

country,  but  Peter  alone  that  of  frankincense  trees,  and  of  fruits 

hell.  of  gold.     And   some   in   horses, 

^Rutherford  notes  that  this  and  in  bodily  feats,  and  some  in 
representation  of  heaven,  per-  dice,  and  some  in  harp-playing 
haps  the  earliest  uncanonical  have  delight ;  and  among  them 
Christian  one,  is  similar  to  thriveth  all  fair-flowering  bliss; 
heathen  ideas  of  the  Elysian  and  fragrance  streameth  ever 
Fields  and  the  Islands  of  the  through  the  lovely  land,  as  they 
Blest.  He  quotes  as  perhaps  the  mingle  incense  of  every  kind  up- 
most striking  parallel,  a  frag-  on  the  altars  of  the  gods."  The 
ment  of  a  dirge  of  Pindar,  "For  New  Jerusalem  of  the  canonical 
them  shineth  below  the  strength  Revelation  is  austere  compared 
of  the  sun,  while  in  our  world  it  to  this,  and  utterly  dissimilar, 
is  night,  and  the  space  of  crim- 


THE  PUNISHMENTS  OF  SINNERS  431 

the  way  of  righteousness ;  and  under  them  lay  fire,  burning 
and  punishing  them.  And  there  was  a  great  lake,  full  of 
flaming  fire,^  in  which  were  certain  that  pervert  righteous- 
ness, and  tormenting  angels  afflicted  them.  And  there  were 
also  others,  women,  hanged  by  their  hair  over  that  mire  that 
bubbled  up;  and  these  were  they  who  adorned  themselves 
for  adultery;  and  the  men  who  mingled  with  them  in  the 
defilement  of  adultery,  were  hanging  by  the  feet  and  their 
heads  in  that  mire.  And  Peter  said,  "I  did  not  believe  that 
I  should  come  into  this  place."  And  he  saw  the  murderers 
and  those  who  conspired  with  them,  cast  into  a  certain  strait 
place,  full  of  evil  snakes,  and  smitten  by  those  beasts,  and 
thus  turning  to  and  fro  in  that  punishment ;  and  worms,  as 
it  were  clouds  of  darkness,^  afiflicted  them.  And  the  souls 
of  the  murdered  stood  and  looked  upon  the  punishment  of 
those  murderers  and  said,  "O  God,  thy  judgment  is  just." 

And  near  that  place  Peter  saw  another  strait  place  into  (52) 
which  the  gore  and  filth  of  those  who  were  being  punished 
ran  down  and  became  there  as  it  were  a  lake ;  and  there  sat 
women  having  the  gore  up  to  their  necks,  and  over  against 
them  sat  many  children  who  were  born  to  them  out  of  due 
time,  crying ;  and  there  came  forth  from  them  sparks  of  fire 
and  smote  the  women  in  the  eyes  ;  and  these  were  the  accursed 
who  conceived  and  caused  abortion.^     And  other  men  and 

'Evidently  the  heathen  Acheru-  served   by    Clement   of   Alexan- 

sian  lake;  this  is  mentioned  by  dria,  tell  how  "the  children  who 

name  in  the  Apocalypse  of  Paul,  are  born  out  of  due  time  shall  be 

which,  however,  gives  it  an  en-  of    the    better    part ;    and    that 

tirely    different    character.      The  these    are    delivered    over    to    a 

last-named  document  has  drawn  care-taking  angel  that  they  may 

heavily  on  (52),  as  indeed  have  attain  a  share  of  knowledge  and 

most  of  the  later  very  numerous  gain  the  better  abode."     Metho- 

apocaiypses,  directly  or  indirect-  dius    also    apparently    refers    to 

ly.     It  may  be  regarded  as  the  this  passage,  and  Clement  in  an- 

principal   source  of  these.  other  place  says,  "The  scripture 

"Cf.  II  Pet.  ii.17.  Verbal  co-  says  that  infants  that  have  been 
incidences  of  (52)  with  II  Peter  exposed  are  delivered  to  a  care- 
are  many;  all  such  are  noted  in  taking  angel,  by  whom  they  are 
Ante-Nicene,  X,  p.   145  seq.  educated  and   so  grow   up,  and 

fragments      of      (52),     pre-  they  will  be,  it  says,  as  the  faith- 


432     THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

women  were  burning  up  to  the  middle,  and  were  cast  into  a 
dark  place  and  v/ere  beaten  by  evil  spirits,  and  their  inwards 
were  eaten  by  restless  worms ;  and  these  were  they  who  per- 
secuted the  righteous  and  delivered  them  up.  And  near  those 
were  again  women  and  men  gnawing  their  own  lips,  and 
being  punished  and  receiving  a  red-hot  iron  in  their  eyes; 
and  these  were  they  who  blasphemed  and  slandered  the 
way  of  righteousness.  And  over  against  these  again  were 
other  men  and  women  gnawing  their  tongues  and  having 
flaming  fire  in  their  mouths;  and  these  were  the  false  wit- 
nesses. And  in  a  certain  other  place  there  were  pebbles 
sharper  than  swords  or  any  spit,  red-hot,  and  women  and 
men  in  tattered  and  filthy  raiment  rolled  about  on  them  in 
punishment;  and  these  were  the  rich  who  trusted  in  their 
riches  and  had  no  pity  for  orphans  and  widows/  and  de- 
spised the  commandment  of  God. 
(52)  And  in  another  great  lake,  full  of  pitch  and  blood  and 
mire  bubbling  up,  there  stood  men  and  women  up  to  their 
knees ;  and  these  were  the  usurers  and  those  who  take  inter- 
est on  interest.  And  other  men  and  women  were  being 
hurled  down  from  a  great  cliff  and  reached  the  bottom,  and 
again  were  driven  by  those  who  were  set  over  them  to  climb 
up  upon  the  cliff,  and  these  were  hurled  down  again,  and  had 
no  rest  from  this  punishment ;-  and  these  were  they  who 
defiled^  their  bodies  acting  as  women ;  and  the  women  who 
were  with  them  were  those  who  lay  with  one  another  as  a 
man  with  a  woman.  And  alongside  of  that  cliff  there  was  a 
place  full  of  much  fire,  and  there  stood  men  who  with  their 
own  hands  had  made  for  themselves  carven  images  instead 
of  God.  And  alongside  of  these  were  other  men  and 
women,  having  rods  and  striking  each  other  and  never  ceas- 

ful  of  a  hundred  years  old  are  noted   of  the   characteristics   of 

here."  heaven,  apparently  look  back  to 

'Cf.  II  Pet.  11.14.  classical  models.    I  have  not  at- 

"The    story    of     Sisyphus     is  tempted  to  note  all  of  these  cor- 

strongly  suggested.    But,  indeed,  respondences. 

all  the  representations  of  the  tor-  ^Cf.  II  Pet.  ii.io;  Jude  8. 

ments  of  hell,  as  has  already  been 


CHRIST  CHARGES  THE  APOSTLES         433 

ing  from  such  punishment.  And  others  again  near  them, 
women  and  men,  were  burning  and  turning  themselves  and 
roasting ;  and  these  were  they  that  left  the  way  of  God.* 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord  (54) 
Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  that  he  appeared  unto  the  holy 
apostles,  and  said  to  them,  "The  peace  of  my  Father  be  with 
you  all ;  what  He  gave  me,  I  give  you  f  gather  together,  and 
part  the  world  among  yourselves  into  twelve  portions,  and 
go  ye,  every  one  of  you  my  holy  disciples,  to  the  portion 
alloted  to  them.^  And  fear  not,  for  I  will  be  with  you,  and 
I  know  what  will  come  upon  you,  suffering  and  afflictions* 
from  the  men  of  the  world ;  but  endure  them  patiently  that  ye 
may  bring  men  back  from  their  errors  to  the  truth  which  is 
in  me.  Remember  the  sufferings  that  came  upon  me,  and 
all  that  was  done  to  me  for  the  sake  of  mankind." 

He  was  seen  of  all  his  apostles,  and  manifested  his  glory  (n) 
through  forty  days,  teaching  them  to  preach  in  his  name 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins.^     And  he  said,  "I  chose 


^For  this  expression,  with 
which  the  known  text  of  (52) 
abruptly  ends,  cf.  II  Pet.  li  2 ; 
Acts  xviii.26.  I  add  here  two 
other  extracts  from  (52),  the 
first  preserved  by  Clement  of 
Alexandria,  "But  the  milk  of  the 
women  running  down  from 
their  breasts  and  congealing 
shall  engender  small  flesh-eat- 
ing beasts ;  and  these  run  up 
upon  them  and  devour  them;" 
this  probably  is  to  be  connected 
with  the  other  fragment  from 
the  same  source,  already  quoted. 
The  second,  preserved  by  Ma- 
carius  Magnes,  runs  thus,  "The 
earth  shall  present  all  men  be- 
fore God  at  the  day  of  judgment, 
being  itself  also  to  be  judged, 
with  the  heaven  also  which  en« 
compasses  it."  This  fragment 
probably  belonged  to  the  eschato- 


logical  discourse  of  Christ  that 
seems  to  have  preceded  the  part 
of   (52)   which  remains  to  us. 

'Cf.  Mat.  xxviii.i6-i8.  This 
paragraph  is  from  the  Conflict 
of  St.  Thomas,  translation  of 
Ethiopic  version,  by  S.  C.  Malan, 
Apoc.  Anecdota,  II,  p.  46;  a 
somewhat  different  Greek  ver- 
sion is  given  on  p.  28  of  same. 

^Cf.  Acts  i.8.  A  circumstantial 
account  of  the  dividing  the  world 
by  lot  amongst  the  apostles,  is 
given  in  many  of  the  Apocryphal 
Acts ;  this,  however,  does  not 
come  within  the  scope  of  the 
present  work;  the  best  summary 
of  such  stories  is  to  be  found  in 
Lipsius. 

^Cf.  John  xvi.33. 

''This  sentence  is  taken  from 
the  Apostolic  Didagmata,  see 
Resch,  460.     It  begins  with  the 


434     THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

out  you  twelve  disciples,  having  judged  you  worthy  of  me."^ 
He  revealed  to  them  that  the  same  was  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.-  He  commanded  them  to  make  dis- 
ciples of  all  nations,  and  to  baptize  into  his  death.^ 
(53)  And  Jesus  and  his  disciples  abode  upon  the  mountain  in 
Galilee.*  And  the  disciples  continued  to  speak  to  him,  say- 
ing, "When  is  it  that  thou  hast  effected  the  remission  of  the 
sins  that  we  have  committed,  and  that  thou  wilt  render  us 
worthy  of  the  kingdom  of  thy  Father  ?"  And  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  not  alone  am  I  able  to  give  a 
ransom  for  your  sins,  but  also  to  render  you  worthy  of  the 
kingdom  of  my  Father,  and  to  give  you  the  mystery  of  the 
remission  of  sins  upon  earth,  so  that  to  whomsoever  ye  shall 
have  remitted  his  sins  on  earth,  they  shall  be  remitted  to  him 
in  heaven,  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  have  bound  upon  earth, 
shall  be  bound  in  heaven.^  I  will  give  to  you  the  mystery 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  so  that  ye  also  shall  make  it 
known  unto  men."  And  Jesus  said  to  them,  "Bring  me  fire 
and  palm  branches.""     And  they  brought  him  what  he  asked. 

statement  that  Christ  rose  from  forms  of  the  most  of  the  matter 

the  dead  at  the  sixth  hour  of  the  in  the  present  work,  in  my  judg- 

night.     Cf.  with  it  Acts  i.g.  ment. 

^This    sentence     is     found    in  'Mat.  xvi.19;  xviii.18. 

Clement    of    Alexandria,     Stro-  *King,  p.  285,  here  reads,  "vine 

mata,  VI,  48.    Cf.  John  vi.70.  branches."    I  do  not  have  access 

'Given   by    Epiphanius,    Here-  to  the  Coptic  text,  but  should  re- 

sies,  LXII,  2,  as  taught  by  the  gard  the  palm  branches  as  the 

SabelHans  and  by  them  derived  much    more    probable    reading; 

from   the    Gospel   of  the   Egyp-  there    is    constant    mention    of 

tians.  them    in    apocryphal    literature. 

'Apostolic  Constitutions,  V,  7 ;  This  narrative,  which  is  doubt- 

VI,  23 ;  VII,  43.  less  the  description  of  a  Gnostic 

*I   have   given   this   paragraph  Ophite   or   Valentinian   mass   as 

and  the  following  one  from  the  performed  in  the  second  or  third 

celebrated    Pistis    Sophia.      The  century,   is   of  the   greatest   im- 

most  of  the  book  would  be  too  portance  for  the  history  of  the 

tedious  and  unintelligible  to  have  ceremonial    of    that    sacrament, 

a  place  in  the  present  work,  al-  How  it  contrasts  with  the  sim- 

though  it  is  an  Apocryphal  Gospel  ple   ceremonial   of   the    Catholic 

par   eminence;   and   is   the   best  eucharist,  as  described  by  Justin 

extant  specimen  of  the  original  Martyr,   somewhat   earlier  than 


THE  EUCHARIST  IN  GALILEE 


435 


And  presenting  the  offering,  he  placed  two  vessels  of  wine, 
the  one  on  the  right,  the  other  on  the  left.  He  placed  the 
offering  before  them ;  and  he  put  the  chalice  of  water  before 
the  vessel  of  wine  which  was  on  the  right;  also,  he  put  the 
chalice  of  wine  before  the  vessel  of  wine  which  was  on  the 
left ;  and  he  put  the  loaves  of  bread,  ranged  in  order ,^  in  the 
midst  of  the  chalices.  He  placed  the  chalice  of  water  near 
the  loaves.  And  Jesus,  standing  before  the  offering,  sta- 
tioned his  disciples  behind  him,  being  all  clothed  in  linen 
vestments,  and  having  in  their  hands  the  seal  of  the  name  of 
the  Father  of  the  treasures  of  light.- 

And  he  cried  aloud,  saying,  "Hear  me,  my  Father,  Father  (53) 
of  all  paternities,  lao  f  louo ;  lao ;  Aoii ;  Oai ;  Psinother ; 
Theropsin;  Opsither  Nephthumaoth ;  Marachachtha ;  Par- 


that  date  !  See  First  Apology,  chs. 
LXV,  LXVI.  Justin  says  in  the 
latter  chapter,  that  the  eucharist 
was  imitated  in  the  mysteries  of 
Mithras,  implying  that  it  was 
performed  with  much  more  cere- 
mony. There  is  great  reason  to 
believe  that  the  mass  above  de- 
scribed owed  much  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Mithras  religion ; 
and  it  is  plain  that  the  Catholic 
church,  in  after  times,  made  use 
of  some  of  the  same  ceremonial. 
^King  here  adds,  "According 
to  the  number  of  his  disciples." 
I  know  not  how  far  the  Coptic 
justifies  this;  Migne  does  not 
give  it.  Seel,  see  King,  p.  124, 
holds  that  in  the  Mithraic  sacra- 
ment the  bread  was  of  precisely 
the  same  form  and  dimension  as 
the  host  at  present  used  in  the 
Western  church.  Notice  that 
there  is  here  a  host  for  each 
communicant.  The  Mithraic 
name  for  the  bread  was  misd, 
which  furnishes  quite  as  prob- 
able an  etymology  for  the  word 


"mass"  as  the  ones  commonly 
given. 

^King  here  translates,  "the 
number  of  the  name,"  and  sug- 
gests that  the  meaning  is,  that 
the  disciples  have  their  fingers 
so  arranged  as  to  express  this 
number;  PHny  mentions  a  very 
old  statue  of  Janus,  displaying 
the  fingers  in  such  manner  as  to 
indicate  his  own  numeral,  that 
of  the  days  in  the  year. 

'This  is  the  Greek  equivalent 
of  the  Hebrew  incommunicable 
name,  Jehovah.  See  n.  on  chap. 
XX;  for  full  discussion  of  it,  see 
King,  p.  319  seq.  The  lore  of 
this  subject  is  voluminous.  The 
string  of  unintelligible  Gnostic 
words  which  follows,  if  it  has 
any  sane  derivation  whatever, 
would  seem  to  go  back  to  He- 
brew sources,  but  is  now  hope- 
lessly corrupted.  All  Gnostic 
formulae  were  made  up  of  such 
jargons  to  mystify  the  hearer; 
and  my  object  in  including  this 
is  to  show  how,  by  comparison 


436    THE  FORTY  DAYS  CONCLUDED 

marachtha ;  leana  Menaman ;  Amanei  of  heaven ;  Israi, 
Amen,  Amen ;  Soubaibai  Appaap,  Amen,  Amen ;  Deraarai ; 
Apaeu ;  Amen ;  Amen ;  Sasarsartou,  Amen ;  Amen  ;  Derarai 
Apaou,  Amen ;  Amen,  Koukiamin  Miai ;  Amen ;  Amen,  lai ; 
lai ;  Tonap,  Amen,  Amen,  Amen ;  Mainmari ;  Marie ;  Marei ; 
Amen,  Amen,  Amen !  I  have  chosen  you  to  remit  the  sins 
and  to  purify  from  all  faults.  Remit  the  sins  of  these  dis- 
ciples who  follow  me,  and  purify  them  of  their  faults,  so 
that  they  may  be  able  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  my 
Father.  Father  of  the  treasure  of  light,  be  propitious  unto 
them,  because  they  have  followed  me  and  observed  my  com- 
mandments. Now,  my  Father,  Father  of  all  paternity, 
let  those  come  who  remit  sins,  whose  names  I  shall  speak : 
Siphirepsnichieu,  Zenei,  Berimou,  Sochabricher,  Euthari, 
Nanai,  Dieisbalmerich,  Meunipos,  Chirie,  Entair,  Mouthiour, 
Smour,  Peucher,  Ouschous,  Minionor,  Isochobortha !  Hear 
me,  remit  the  sins  of  these  souls,  and  extinguish  their  faults. 
Let  them  be  worthy  to  be  admitted  to  the  kingdom  of  my 
Father,  the  Father  of  the  light;  for  I  know  Thy  great 
powers,  and  I  invoke  them :  Auer,  Bebro,  Athroni, 
Heoureph,  Heone,  Souphen,  Knitousochreoph,  Mauonbi, 
Mneuor,  Souoni,  Chocheteoph,  Choche,  Anemph!  Remit 
the  sins  of  these  souls,  extinguish  the  faults  which  know- 
ingly or  ignorantly  they  have  committed,  even  though  they 
be  committed  in  debauchery  and  adultery ;  even  unto  this  day 
remit  unto  them  their  faults,^  and  let  them  be  worthy  to  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  my  Father,  O  my  holy  Father !  If,  then, 
my  Father,  Thou  hearest  me,  and  dost  remit  the  sins  of  these 
souls  and  efface  their  faults,  and  dost  render  them  worthy  of 
entrance  into  Thy  kingdom,  show  me  a  sign  in  this  offering." 
And  the  sign  was  given  as  Jesus  asked.^  And  Jesus  said  to 

of  late  Christian  magic  formulae,  directly  insisted  on  here  than  by 

as  given  in  chap.  XX,  all  such  Catholic   writers   of   this   age. 
are    derived     from    the    earlier         ^It  is  natural  to  suspect  here, 

Gnostic  ones.     The  strange  Ab-  that  in  Gnostic  practice  a  mag- 

raxas  religion  is  also  related.  ical    sign    of   the    acceptance   of 

^The  remission  of  sins  through  the  offering  vi^as  arranged  to  oc- 

the  sacrament  is  certainly  more  cur  at  the  right  time,  just  as 


WORDS  TO  THE  DISCIPLES 


437 


his  disciples,  ''Rejoice  ye,  and  be  glad,  because  your  sins  are 
remitted,  and  your  faults  are  effaced, and  ye  are  worthy  of 
being  admitted  to  the  kingdom  of  my  Father.^  Rejoice  and 
be  glad,  and  add  joy  above  your  joy,  for  the  times  are  ful- 
filled that  I  may  put  on  my  garment  which  is  prepared  for 
me  from  the  beginning.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever 
hath  quickened  one  soul,  and  hath  preserved  her  apart  from 
his  light  in  the  kingdom  of  light,  will  receive  another  glory 
in  place  of  the  soul  which  he  hath  preserved.  Therefore,  I 
once  said  unto  you,  'Ye  shall  sit  upon  thrones  in  my  kingdom, 
to  my  right  and  to  my  left,  and  reign  with  me.'  "  And  when 
he  had  thus  spoken,  the  disciples  experienced  great  joy. 


happened  in  many  of  the  famous 
heathen  wonder-working  tem- 
ples; and,  I  might  add,  at  saint- 
ly  shrines   in   later  times. 

^I  have  after  this  long  extract 
added  below  three  short  ones 
from  Pistis  Sophia,  which  seem 
to  be  especially  significant.  Be- 
sides the  rest  of  this  book,  which 
might  have  been  included  in  the 
account  of  Christ's  Words  after 
the  Resurrection,  there  are  also 
other  Gnostic  remains,  very 
fragmentary,  which  pretend  to 
give  discourses  during  the  eleven 


or  twelve  years  which  He  is  al- 
leged to  have  spent  here  before 
the  last  Ascension.  There  are 
also  numerous  accounts  in  the 
various  Apocryphal  Acts  of  dis- 
courses of  Christ  with  the  apos- 
tles on  His  return  to  earth  after 
the  first  Ascension.  The  Testa- 
ment of  Our  Lord,  which  I  have 
not  seen,  see  Apocrypha  Anec- 
dota,  n,  p.  Ixxxiv,  probably 
covers  this  ground,  and  there  are 
other  fragments.  But  I  do  not 
imagine  that  any  of  this  litera- 
ture has,  much  interest  or  value. 


32 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  ASCENSION. 

Last  Charge  to  the  Apostles — The  Ascension — Apos- 
tles  RETURN    TO   JERUSALEM ThREE   OTHER    WITNESSES 

OF  THE  Ascension  come  thither  from  Galilee — Their 
Account  —  Are  not  believed  and  return  to  Gal- 
ilee— Jewish  Council  regarding  this  News — Speech 
OF  Nicodemus — Search  for  Christ — Joseph  of  Ari- 

MATHAEA  FOUND LeTTER  SENT  HIM — TeLLS  THE  COUN- 
CIL HIS  Story — The  three  Witnesses  again  sent  for. 

Main  Sources:   (37) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  14-16. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  14-16. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  14- 

16. 
(42) — Bohairic  Accounts  of  the  Falling  Asleep  of 

Mary,  II,  i. 
(55) — Teaching  of  the  Apostles,  Syriac. 

(42)  And  at  the  end  of  forty  days  came  Christ's  holy  assump- 
tion. He  took  his  disciples  up  into  the  Mount  of  Olives.^ 
He  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  blessed  them,-  and  gave 
them  oneness  of  heart  and  his  holy  laws.  Then  he  said  to 
Peter,  "Peter,  my  bishop,  dost  thou  not  remember  that  I 
once  called  thee  Simon  Bar-Jona  ?^  which  is,  I  made  thee  son 

^Cf.   Acts   i.2,    12.     This   para-  sumption,    and    the    mention    of 

graph  is  taken  from  the  Second  the  Ascension  is  only  incidental. 

Bohairic  Account  of  the  Falling  ^Cf.  Luke  xxiv.50 ;  John  xvii.i. 

Asleep   of   Mary.     The     central  ^Cf.  Mat.  xvi.17. 
theme  of  the  book  is  Mary's  As- 

(438) 


LAST  WORDS  TO  THE  APOSTLES         439 

of  the  dove,  which  is  my  blessed  mother.  Now  continue 
with  her,  until  she  die  and  bless  thee."  Then  again,  he  said 
to  John,  "John,  my  beloved,  remember  that  I  love  thee. 
Therefore  have  I  sanctified  thee,  and  I  have  taken  from  thee 
the  poison  of  the  serpent.^  Now  continue  with  my  mother, 
as  thou  dost  continue  with  me,  until  she  die,  and  thou  obtain 
her  blessing.-  Remember  that  I  gave  her  to  thee,  as  I  was 
hanging  on  the  cross,  that  thou  shouldest  be  to  her  a  son 
in  my  stead." 

And  at  that  time  Christ  was  taken  up  to  his  Father,  in  (55) 
the  year  three  hundred  and  thirty-nine  of  the  kingdom  of 
the  Greeks,  in  the  month  Heziran,^  on  the  fourth  day  of  the 
same,  which  is  the  first  day  of  the  week  and  the  end  of  Pen- 
tecost,*— on  the  selfsame  day  came  the  disciples  from 
Nazareth  of  Galilee,  where  the  conception  of  our  Lord  was 
announced,  to  the  mount  which  is  called  Beth  Zaithe,^  our 
Lord  being  with  them,  but  not  being  visible  to  them.  And 
at  the  time  of  early  dawn  our  Lord  lifted  up  his  hands,  and 
laid  them  upon  the  heads  of  the  eleven  disciples,  and  gave  to 
them  the  gift  of  the  priesthood.''  And  suddenly  a  bright 
cloud  received  him.  And  they  saw  him  as  he  was  going  up 
to  heaven.'^  And  he  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father.^  And  they  praised  God  because  they  saw  his 
ascension  according  as  he  had  told  them ;  and  they  rejoiced 
because  they  had  received  the  right  hand  conferring  on  them 
the  priesthood  of  the  house  of  Moses  and  Aaron.     And 


'Cf.  Rom.  ill. 13.     But  the  ref-  new  moon  of  June.     The  para- 

erence    here    is    undoubtedly    to  graph  is  from  the  Teachings  of 

John's        traditional       virginity,  the  Apostles,  Syriac. 

Gnostic,    especially    Manichaean  *The  writer  seems  curiously  to 

teaching,    would    regard    infrac-  have    confused    Pentecost    with 

tion  of  celibacy  as  the  serpent's  Ascension  Day. 

poison.  ^That  is,  "the  house  of  olives," 

'AH  of  which  is  elaborately  ful-  doubtless   for   Mount   of  Olives, 

filled   according   to    the   volumi-  cf.  Luke  xxiv.50. 

nous   literature   of  the   Assump-  ^Cf.  John  xx.21-23. 

tion  of  Mary.  ''Cf.  Acts  i.9-10. 

^This  month   began   with   the  *Cf.  Mark  xvi.19. 


440 


THE  ASCENSION 


they  returned  to  Jerusalem,  giving  thanks  for  all  those 
things  that  he  spake  to  them.^ 
(27)  And  a  few  days  after,  there  came  from  Galilee  to  Jeru- 
}^l  salem,  three  men.  One  of  them  was  a  priest,  by  name 
Phinees ;  the  second  a  Levite,  by  name  Haggai ;  and  the 
third  a  teacher,  by  name  Adas.^  These  came  to  the  chief 
priests  and  said  to  them  and  to  the  people,  "We  saw  Jesus 
whom  ye  crucified,  and  his  eleven  disciples,  sitting  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives  in  Galilee,  which  is  called  Mambre,  or 
Mamilch;^  and  teaching  them,  he  said  to  his  disciples,  'Go 


^Cf.  Acts  i.i2  seq.  From  this 
point  begin  the  numerous  leg- 
ends of  the  division  of  the  world 
amongst  the  apostles,  the  compo- 
sition of  the  creed,  the  apostolic 
canons,  such  as  those  of  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions,  etc.,  all 
of  which  do  not  come  within  the 
scope  of  this  work. 

^There  is  great  variety  in  the 
different  Mss.  in  the  forms  of 
these  names,  e.  g.  Phinehas, 
Eneas,  Finees ;  Egias,  Aggaeus, 
Egeas ;  Adda,  etc.,  and  also  in 
the  occupations  attributed  to 
them.  Besides  the  above,  they 
are  also  called  soldiers. 

^This  name  has  a  vast  variety 
of  forms  in  the  Mss :  Mambre, 
Llabrech,  Momphe,  and  Mophek 
are  evidently  founded  on  a  con- 
fusion of  the  name  with  Mamre. 
The  Hebrew  Malech,  or  Melech, 
"■s.  king,"  is  plainly  the  origin,  and 
it  has  been  corrupted  into  such 
forms  besides,  as  Malek,  Males, 
Maleth,  Amalech,  and  Mamilk. 
The  Rabbins  gave  this  name  to 
the  hill  country  of  Judea.  The 
author  here  identifies  it  with  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  and  daringly 
places  that  in  Galilee,  thus  rec- 
onciling two  possible  interpreta- 


tions of  the  Gospels.  Mat.  and 
Mark  certainly  leave  the  impres- 
sion that  the  Ascension  took 
place  in  Galilee.  Cf.  Mat. 
xxviii.i6;  Mark  xvi.7,  14,  19; 
whilst  Luke  xxiv.so,  51  definite- 
ly locates  it  near  Bethany ;  and 
Acts  i.i2  fairly  implies  that  it 
was  from  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
The  last  was  the  early  and  al- 
most universal  tradition  of  the 
Church ;  almost  equally  wide- 
spread was  the  belief  that  Christ 
should  appear  there  at  His  sec- 
ond coming.  There  was  a  Jew- 
ish tradition,  founded  upon  such 
passages  as,  Zech.  xiv.4,  that  the 
Messiah  should  manifest  His 
glory  on  this  mountain ;  see 
Eisenmenger,  H,  296.  Hofmann 
develops  at  length,  p.  394  seq., 
the  reconciliation  of  the  two 
views  above  which  proceeds  to 
show  that  the  northern  peak  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives  was  called 
Galilee;  it  seems  weak  to  me. 
He  also  gives  grounds  for  hold- 
ing that  the  southern  peak  of 
Olivet  had  really  been  called  by 
some  such  names  as  Mamilch, 
derived  from  the  name  of  Mil- 
corn,  or  Moloch,  who  probably 
once   had   a   place   of   worship 


STORY  OF  THE  THREE  WITNESSES      441 

into  all  the  world,  and  proclaim  the  good  news  to  every 
creature;  he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved, 
and  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  condemned.  And  these 
signs  shall  attend  those  who  have  believed;  in  my  name 
they  shall  cast  out  demons,  speak  new  tongues,  take  up  ser- 
pents ;  and  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  by  no 
means  hurt  them ;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they 
shall  be  well.'^  And  while  Jesus  was  speaking  to  his  dis- 
ciples, we  saw  him  taken  up  into  heaven.^  And  both  we 
and  many  others  of  the  five  hundred  who  were  there  besides, 
were  looking  on."^ 

The  elders  and  priests  and  Levites  say  to  the  three  when  {z7) 
they  heard  these  things,  "Give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel,  ^^l 
and  confess  to  Him  whether  ye  have  heard  and  seen  these 
things  of  which  ye  have  given  us  an  account ;  and  repent  of 
these  lies  which  ye  have  told."  And  those  who  had  given 
the  account  said,  "As  the  Lord  liveth,  the  God  of  our  fathers, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  we  heard  these  things,  and  saw 
him  taken  up  into  heaven ;  we  do  not  lie,  but  tell  the  truth." 
The  elders  and  the  priests  and  the  Levites  say  to  them, 
"Have  ye  come  to  give  us  this  announcement,  or  to  offer 
prayer  to  God  ?"  And  they  say,  "To  offer  prayer  to  God." 
The  elders  and  the  chief  priests  and  the  Levites  say  to  them, 
"If  ye  have  come  to  offer  prayer  to  God,  why  then  have  ye 

there.     Cf.   I   Kings  ii.5,  7,  33 ;  to   be    seen,    yet    the    rock   was 

II  Kings  xxiii.13;  Jer.  xlix.i,  3.  never    diminished    in    the    least. 

Helena   is   said   to   have  built  a  Finally,  Beda  relates  that  when 

church  upon  this  traditional  site  the  church  was  erected  upon  this 

of  the  Ascension,  and  Paulinus  spot,  it  was  found  to  be  impos- 

Nolanus  tells,  that  over  the  spot  sible  to  close  up  completely  the 

where  the  Saviour  stood,  it  was  round  dome  above  it;  it  had  to 

impossible    to    make    a    wooden  be  left  open  on  account  of  the 

covering,    since    the    bare    rock  Lord's   passage  to  heaven   from 

continually  thrust  itself  through.  this   place.     Casaubon   alsomen- 

Another    old    author    tells,    that  tions  these  wonders, 

although    pilgrims    to    the    spot  'Mark  xvi.15-18. 

continually   carried   away  pieces  "Acts  i.io. 

of  the  rock  upon  which  the  foot-  ^Cf.  I  Cor,  xv.6. 
steps  of  Christ  were  still  plainly 


442  THE  ASCENSION 

told  these  idle  tales^  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people?" 
Phinees  the  priest,  and  Haggai  the  Levite,  and  Adas  the 
teacher  say  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagogues,  and  the  priests, 
and  the  Levites,  "If  what  we  have  said  and  seen  be  sinful, 
behold,  we  are  before  you ;  do  to  us  as  seemeth  good  in  your 
eyes."  And  they  took  the  law,  the  old  covenant  of  the 
Hebrews,  and  made  them  swear  upon  it-  not  to  give  any 
more  an  account  of  these  matters  to  any  one.  And  they  gave 
them  to  eat  and  drink,  and  sent  them  out  of  the  city,  hav- 
ing also  given  them  money,  and  three  men  with  them  who 
should  conduct  them  to  Galilee,  in  order  that  they  might  not 
proclaim  in  Jerusalem  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
(;}•;)  And  when  these  stories  had  been  heard  by  all  the  people, 
P^?  the  three  men  having  gone  into  Galilee,  the  crowd  came 
together  into  the  temple,  and  there  was  a  great  commotion. 
For  many  said,  "Jesus  hath  risen  from  the  dead,  as  we  hear, 
and  why  did  ye  crucify  him?"  And  the  chief  priests,  and 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  elders  came  together 
into  the  synagogue,  and  locked  the  door,  and  lamented  with 
a  great  lamentation,  saying,  "Is  this  a  miracle  that  hath 
happened  in  Israel?"  And  Annas  and  Caiaphas  said,  "Why 
are  ye  so  much  moved?  why  do  ye  weep?  Do  not  believe, 
ye  Jews,  what  the  soldiers  say.  Do  ye  not  know  that  his 
disciples  have  given  a  sum  of  money  to  the  guards  of  the 
tomb,  and  have  instructed  them  to  say  that  an  angel  came 
down  and  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  tomb  ? 
For  we  have  given  money  to  the  soldiers,  in  order  that  they 
should  not  tell  such  tales  to  any  one,  and  thus,  also,  have  the 
disciples  of  Jesus  given  them  money,  in  order  that  they 
should  say  that  Jesus  hath  risen  from  the  dead."  And  the 
priests  and  elders  said,  "Be  it  that  his  disciples  have  stolen 
his  body;  how  is  it  that  the  life  hath  come  into  his  body, 
and  that  he  hath  been  going  about  in  Galilee?"  And  they, 
being  unable  to  give  an  answer  to  these  things,  said,  after 
great  hesitation,  "It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  believe  the  un- 

'Lit.    "Why   then   this    trifling      amongst   many   nations,   and   its 
that  ye  have  trifled,"  etc.  survival  to  this  day,  have  already 

^The  prevalence  of  this  usage      been  noted. 


THE  SPEECH  OF  NICODEMUS  443 

circumcised  in  a  single  word/  knowing  that  these  same  who 
received  sufficient  gold  from  us  have  said  as  we  taught 
them." 

And  Nicodemus  rose  up,-  and  stood  before  the  Sanhedrin,  (37) 
saying,  "Ye  say  well.^  Ye  are  not  ignorant,  ye  people  of  the  /-^  < 
Lord,  of  these  men  that  came  down  from  Galilee,  that  they 
fear  God,  and  are  men  of  substance,  haters  of  covetousness, 
men  of  peace ;  and  they  have  declared  with  an  oath,  'We 
saw  Jesus  upon  the  mountain  Mamilch  with  his  disciples ; 
and  he  taught  what  we  heard  from  him,  and  we  saw  him 
taken  up  into  heaven.'  And  no  one  asked  them  in  what 
form  he  went  up.  For,  assuredly,  as  the  book  of  the  holy 
scripture  hath  taught  us,  Elijah  also  was  taken  up  into  the 
height  of  heaven  with  a  fiery  chariot  ;*  and  Elisha  cried  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  and  Elijah  threw  his  sheepskin  upon 
Elisha,  and  Elisha  threw  his  sheepskin  upon  the  Jordan, 
and  crossed,  and  came  into  Jericho.  And  the  children  of  the 
prophets  met  him,  and  said,  'O  Elisha,  where  is  thy  master 
Elijah  ?  And  he  said,  'He  hath  been  taken  up  into  heaven/ 
And  they  said  to  Elijah,  'Hath  not  a  spirit  seized  him,  and 
thrown  him  upon  one  of  the  mountains?  But  let  us  take 
our  servants  with  us,  and  seek  him.'  And  they  persuaded 
Elisha ;  and  he  went  away  with  them.  And  they  sought 
him  three  days,  and  did  not  find  him ;  and  they  knew  he  had 
been  taken  up.  And  it  is  nothing  incredible  if  Jesus  too 
hath  risen ;  for  the  prophet  Elijah  was  a  prototype  of  Jesus,'' 
in  order  that  ye,  hearing  that  Jesus  hath  risen,  might  not 
disbelieve.     I  therefore  say  and  advise,  that  it  is  befitting 

'Eisenmenger,    I,    615,    shows  ''Cf.  II  Kings  ii.i  seq. 

how    emphatically    the    Jews    in  "This  view  was  taken  by  many 

later    times    rejected    the    testi-  of  the  Church  fathers,  e.  g.  Epi- 

mony  of  Gentiles.  phanius,      Theophanes      Ceram., 

^The  position  of  influence  here  Arnoldus     Abbas.     An     Apoca- 

accorded    Nicodemus    does    not  b'pse    of   Elijah   was   known   to 

agree    with    his    recent    reviling  St.    Augustine    and    others,    see 

by    the    Jews,    recorded    in    the  Fabricius,    Vet.    Test.,    I,    107?, 

same  document.  which  may  have  contained  mat- 

^This    sentence    is    perhaps    to  ter  used  here, 
be  taken  interrogatively. 


444  THE  ASCENSION 

that  we  send  soldiers  into  Galilee,  to  that  place  where  these 
men  testify  that  they  saw  him  with  his  disciples,  in  order 
that  they  may  go  round  about  and  find  him ;  and  let  us  send 
into  every  district  of  Israel,  and  see  lest  perchance  Christ 
hath  been  taken  up  by  a  spirit,  and  thrown  upon  one  of  the 
mountains.  And  that  thus  we  may  ask  pardon  of  him  for 
the  evil  which  we  have  done  to  him."  And  this  proposal 
pleased  them  all.  And  they  sent  into  every  district  of  Israel, 
and  sought  Jesus ;  and  they  sent  soldiers  away  into  Galilee. 
And  Jesus,  indeed,  they  did  not  find ;  but  they  found  Joseph 
in  Arimathaea,  and  no  one  dared  to  lay  hands  on  him. 
(37)  And  they  reported  to  the  elders  and  the  priests  and  the 
/^q\  Levites,  "We  have  gone  round  to  every  district  of  Israel, 
and  have  not  found  Jesus ;  but  Joseph  we  have  found  in 
Arimathaea."  And  hearing  about  Joseph,  they  were  glad, 
and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel.  And  the  rulers  of  the 
synagogue,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  having  held  a 
council  as  to  the  manner  in  which  they  should  meet  with 
Joseph,  and  get  him  to  come  with  them,  took  a  piece  of 
paper,  and  wrote  to  him,  as  followeth : — 
(37)  "O  father  Joseph,  peace  be  to  thee  and  all  thy  house,  and 
r^Q)  thy  friends !  We  know  that  we  have  offended  against  God, 
and  against  thee  His  servant.  And  we  have  prayed  to  the 
God  of  Israel  on  account  of  this,  that  thou  shouldest  deign 
to  come  to  thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  children,  because  we  have 
all  been  grieved ;  and  we  entreat  thee  to  come.  For  having 
opened  the  door,  we  did  not  find  thee;  and  we  have  won- 
dered much  how  thou  didst  escape  from  the  prison ;  and  we 
say  in  truth  that  we  had  counselled  an  evil  design  against 
thee.  But  God,  seeing  that  our  designs  against  thee  were 
unjust,  hath  delivered  thee  out  of  our  hands ;  the  Lord  hath 
defended  thee,  and  the  Lord  Himself  hath  scattered  to  the 
winds  our  counsel  against  thee.  But  come  to  us ;  for  thou 
art  the  honour  of  our  people,  O  honourable  father  Joseph !" 
(37)  And  they  chose  from  all  Israel  seven  soldiers,^  friends  of 
(^\  Joseph ;   and  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests, 

'Only  (38)  mentions  that  the  men  were  soldiers. 


JOSEPH  RETURNS  TO  JERUSALEM        445 

and  the  Levites  say  to  them,  ''Take  notice ;  if,  after  receiv- 
ing our  letter,  he  read  it,  know  that  he  will  come  with  you 
to  us ;  but  if  he  doth  not  read  it,  know  that  he  is  ill-disposed 
toward  us.  And  having  saluted  him  in  peace,  return  to  us." 
And  having  blessed  the  men,  they  dismissed  them  to 
Arimathaea.  And  the  men  came  to  Joseph,  and  did  rever- 
ence to  him,  and  said  to  him,  "Peace  to  thee !"  And  he  said, 
"Peace  to  you,  and  to  all  the  people  of  Israel!"  And  they 
gave  him  the  roll  of  the  letter.  And  Joseph  having  received 
it,  read  the  letter  and  rolled  it  up,  and  blessed  God,  and  said, 
"Blessed  be  the  Lord  God,  who  hath  delivered  Israel  that 
they  should  not  shed  innocent  blood;  and  blessed  be  the 
Lord,  who  sent  out  His  angel,  and  covered  me  under  his 
wings."^  And  he  set  a  table  for  them,  and  they  ate  and 
drank  and  slept  there. 

And  they  rose  up  early,  and  prayed.  And  Joseph  saddled  {Z7) 
his  ass,  and  set  out  with  the  men;  and  they  came  to  the  \^l 
holy  city  Jerusalem.  And  all  the  people  came  forth  to  meet 
him,  and  embraced  him,  and  cried  out,  "Peace  to  thee  in  thy 
coming  in !"  And  he  said  to  all  the  people,  "Peace  to  you !" 
and  he  kissed  them.  And  the  people  prayed  with  Joseph, 
and  they  were  astonished  at  the  sight  of  him.  And  Nico- 
demus  received  him  into  his  house,  and  made  a  great  feast ; 
and  called  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  and  the  elders,  and  the 
priests,  and  the  Levites  to  his  house.^  And  they  rejoiced, 
eating  and  drinking  with  Joseph ;  and  after  singing  hymns,' 
each  proceeded  to  his  own  house.  But  Joseph  remained  in 
the  house  of  Nicodemus. 

And  on  the  following  day,  which  was  the  preparation,  the  {2^7) 
rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites  )^. 
went  early  to  the  house  of  Nicodemus ;  and  Nicodemus  met 
them,  and  said,  "Peace  to  you !"    And  they  said,  "Peace  to 
thee,  and  to  Joseph,  and  to  all  thy  house,  and  to  all  the  house 
of  Joseph  !"  And  he  brought  them  into  his  house.    And  all 

'Cf.  Ps.  xxxvi.7,  etc.  cently    desired    to    put    him    to 

*Very     elaborate     hospitalities  death, 

are   offered   Joseph,   despite  the  ^Cf.  perhaps.  Col.  iii.l6;    Jas. 

fact  that  the  Jews  had  but  re-  v.13. 


446  THE  ASCENSION 

the  Sanhedrin  sat  down,  and  Joseph  sat  down  between 
Annas  and  Caiaphas ;  and  no  one  dared  to  say  a  word  to 
him.  And  Joseph  said,  "Why  have  ye  called  me?"  And 
they  signalled  to  Xicodemus  to  speak  to  Joseph.  And  Nico- 
demus,  opening  his  mouth,  said  to  Joseph,  "Father,  thou 
knowest  that  the  honourable  teachers,  and  the  priests,  and 
the  Levites  seek  to  learn  a  word  from  thee."  And  Joseph 
said,  "Ask."  And  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  having  taken  the 
law,  made  Joseph  swear,  saying,  "Give  glory  to  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  give  Him  confession ;  for  Achan  being  made 
to  swear  by  the  prophet  Joshua  did  not  forswear  himself,^ 
but  declared  unto  him  all,  and  did  not  hide  a  word  from  him. 
Do  thou  also,  accordingly,  not  hide  from  us  to  the  extent  of 
a  word."-  And  Joseph  said,  "I  shall  not  hide  from  you  one 
word."  And  they  said  to  him,  "With  grief  were  we  grieved,^ 
because  thou  didst  beg  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  wrap  it  in 
clean  linen,  and  lay  it  in  a  tomb.  And  on  account  of  this  we 
secured  thee  in  a  room  where  there  were  no  windows ;  and 
we  put  locks  and  seals  upon  the  doors,  and  guards  kept 
watching  where  thou  wast  locked  in.  And  on  the  first  day 
of  the  week  we  opened,  and  found  thee  not,  and  were 
grieved  exceedingly ;  and  astonishment  fell  upon  all  the 
people  of  the  Lord  until  yesterday.  And  now  relate  to  us 
what  hath  happened  to  thee." 
(T^y)  Then  Joseph  related  to  them  all  that  had  happened  to 
^~}^)^  him.*  And  when  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests, 
and  the  Levites  heard  these  words  from  Joseph,  they  becam.e 
as  dead,  and  fell  to  the  ground,  and  fasted  until  the  ninth 
hour.  And  Nicodemus,  along  with  Joseph,  exhorted  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  saying  "Rise  up, 
and  stand  upon  your  feet,  and  taste  bread,  and  strengthen 
your  souls,  because  to-morrow  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord." 
And  they  rose  up,  and  prayed  to  God,  and  ate  and  drank, 
and  departed  every  man  to  his  own  house. 

'See  Josh,  vii.19,  20.  ^The    familiar    Hebrew    idiom 

^The    Greek    word    here    used  so  often  used  in  the  O.  T. 

means    either    a    "word"    or    a  Ws  told  in  chap.  XXX. 

"thing." 


THE  JEWS  ARE  PERPLEXED  447 

And  on  the  Sabbath,  the  teachers  and  the  priests  and  izi) 
the  Levites  sat  questioning  each  other/  and  saying,  "What  Y^A 
is  this  wrath  that  hath  come  upon  us?  For  we  know  his 
father  and  mother ;  how  can  we  beUeve  that  he  is  the 
Christ?"^  Levi,  a  teacher,  saith,  "I  know  the  family  of 
Jesus,  noble-minded  men,^  great  servants  of  God.  I  know 
that  his  parents*  fear  God,  and  do  not  withdraw  themselves 
from  the  prayers,  and  give  the  tithes  thrice  a  year.^  And 
when  Jesus  was  born,  his  parents  brought  him  to  this  place, 
and  gave  sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings  to  God."  And  when 
the  great  teacher  Simeon  took  him  into  his  arms,  he  said, 
'Now  Thou  sendest  away  Thy  servant,  Lord,  according  to 
Thy  word,  in  peace ;  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation, 
which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  the  peoples ; 
a  light  for  the  revelation  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of 
Thy  people  Israel.'  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  to 
Mary  his  mother,  T  give  thee  good  news  about  this  child.' 
And  Mary  said,  "It  is  well,  my  Lord.'  And  Simeon  said  to 
her,  Tt  is  well ;  behold,  he  lieth  for  the  fall  and  rising  again 
of  many  in  Isreal,  and  for  a  sign  spoken  against ;  and  of 
thee  thyself,  a  sword  shall  go  through  thy  soul,  in  order 
that  the  reasonings  of  many  hearts  may  be  revealed.'  " 

They  say  to  the  teacher  Levi,  "How  knowest  thou  these  {2>7) 
things?"  Levi  saith  to  them,  "Do  ye  not  know  that  from  ^^9) 
him,  I  learned  the  law?"    The  Sanhedrin  say  to  him,  "We 
wish  to  see  thy  father."   And  they  sent  for  his  father.   And 
they  asked  him,  and  he  said  to  them,  "Why  have  ye  not  be- 

^If,  as  appears  to  be  the  case,  "This  confirms  the  opinion  that 

this    meeting    was    a    session    of  tithes    were   paid   thrice   a   year, 

the  Sanhedrin,  it  was  not  lawful  (38)  here  reads,  "receiving  tithes 

according  to  the  usual  practice,  of    the    people    of    the    Jews." 

°Cf.  John  vii.27.    The  fact  that  But  this  is  a  mere  corruption  of 

Christ's  parents  were  well  known  the     text,     without     foundation, 

was  still  a  fatal  objection  to  the  even  in  legend.     It  might  have 

reality  of  His  messiahship.  been  suggested,  or  at  least  per- 

^Lit.  "men  of  good  family."  petuated,    by    reference    to    Ps. 

^Implying  that  Joseph  was  still  lxviii.18. 

alive,  although,  as  we  have  shown  'See   Luke   ii. 28-35,   and   chap, 

in  chap.  XIV,  nearly  all  tradi-  V,    at    close,    for    account    and 

tion  points  the  other  way.  notes. 


448  THE  ASCENSION 

lieved  my  son?^  The  blessed  and  just  Simeon  himself  taught 
him  the  law."  The  Sanhedrin  say  to  Rabbi  Levi,  'Ts  the 
word  that  thou  hast  said,  true?"  And  he  said,  "It  is  true." 
And  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests,  and  the 
Levites  said  to  themselves,  "Come,  let  us  send  into  Galilee 
to  the  three  men  that  came  and  told  about  his  teaching  and 
his  taking  up,  and  let  them  tell  us  how  they  saw  him  taken 
up."  And  this  saying  pleased  all.  And  they  sent  away  the 
three  men  who  had  already  gone  away  into  Galilee  with 
them ;  and  they  say  to  them,  "Say  to  Rabbi  Phinees,  and 
Rabbi  Haggai,  and  Rabbi  Adas,  'Peace  to  you,  and  all  who 
are  with  you !  A  great  inquiry  having  taken  place  in  the 
Sanhedrin,  we  have  been  sent  to  you  to  call  you  to  the  hoi 
place,  Jerusalem.' " 
(37)  And  the  men  set  out  into  Galilee,  and  found  them  sitting 
[^  J  and  considering  the  law;^  and  they  saluted  them  in  peace. 
And  the  men  who  were  in  Galilee  said  to  those  who  had 
come  to  them,  "Peace  upon  all  Israel !"  And  they  said  to 
them  again,  "Why  have  ye  com.e  ?"  And  those  who  had  been 
sent,  said,  "The  Sanhedrin  calleth  you  to  the  holy  city  Jeru- 
salem." And  when  the  men  heard  that  they  were  sought  by 
the  Sanhedrin,  they  prayed  to  God,  and  reclined  with  the 
men,  and  ate  and  drank,  and  rose  up,  and  set  out  in  peace 
to  Jerusalem. 

^This   incident,  the  calling  of  the  blind  man's  parents  are  sim- 

Levi's  father  to  confirm  his  tes-  ilarly  appealed  to. 

timony,  is  evidently  suggested  by  ^Cf.  Ps.  i.2,  etc. 
the  case  in  John  ix.  17-25,  where 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FURTHER  TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST. 

The  Three  Men  From  Galilee  confirm  their  Witness 
TO  THE  Ascension — Scripture  cited  in  the  Council 
— Joseph  tells  how  Charinus  and  Leucius  arose 
WITH  Christ — These  Men  sought  and  found — They 
write  their  Testimony — It  is  read — Another  Coun- 
cil— The  Jews  lament — How  Nicodemus  and  Joseph 
HID  the  Cross — Testimony  regarding  Cleopas  and 
the  Raising  of  Rufus  by  the  Tomb  of  Christ. 

Main  Sources:     (6) — Various  Sahidic  Fragments,  V. 

(37) — Gospel  of   Nicodemus,   Part  I,  First  Greek 

Form,  16. 
(38) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Second  Greek 

Form,  16. 
(39) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  I,  Latin  Form,  16. 
(45) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Greek  Form, 

I,  II. 
(46) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  First  Latin 

Form,  I,  II. 
(47) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  Part  II,  Second  Latin 

Form,  I,  II. 

(37)      Now  on  the  following  day  the  Sanhedrin  sat  in  the  syna- 
>^^<  gogue,  and  asked  the  three  men  from  Galilee,  saying,  "Did 
ye  plainly  see  Jesus  sitting  on  the  mountain  Mamilch  teach- 
ing his  eleven  disciples,  and  did  ye  see  him  taken  up  ?"  And 
the  men  answered  them,  and  said,  "As  we  saw  him  taken  up, 
so  also  we  said,  as  the  God  of  Israel  liveth." 
(37)      Annas  saith,  "Take  them  away  from  one  another,  and  let 
(3g)  us  see  whether  their  account  agreeth."  And  they  took  them 

(449) 


450        TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

away  from  one  another.  And  first  they  call  Adas,  and  say 
to  him,  "How  didst  thou  see  Jesus  taken  up?"  Adas  saith, 
"While  he  was  yet  sitting  on  the  mountain  Mamilch,  and 
teaching  his  disciples,  we  saw  a  shining  cloud  overshadow- 
ing both  him  and  his  disciples.  And  the  cloud  took  him  up 
into  heaven,  and  his  disciples  lay  upon  their  face  upon  the 
earth  and  prayed."^  And  calling  Phinees  the  priest,  they 
questioned  him  also,  saying,  "How  didst  thou  see  Jesus 
taken  up?"  And  he  said  the  same  as  the  other.  And  again 
they  called  the  third.  Rabbi  Haggai,  and  questioned  him ; 
and  he  said  the  same  as  the  first  and  second.  And  those  who 
were  in  the  council  said,  "The  law  of  Moses  holdeth,  'At 
the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  shall  be 
established.'  "^  Buthem,^  one  of  the  doctors,  saith,  "It  is 
v/ritten  in  the  law,  'And  Enoch  walked  with  God,  and  is  not, 
because  God  took  him.'  "*  Jairus,^  one  of  the  teachers,  said, 
"And  the  death  of  holy  Moses  we  have  heard  of,  and  have 
not  seen  it;  for  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  'And 
Ivloses  died  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and  no  man  know- 
eth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this  day.'  "®  And  Rabbi  Levi  said, 
'"Why  did  Rabbi  Simeon  say,  when  he  saw  Jesus,  'Behold,  he 
lieth  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel,  and  for 

^Although  the  kneeling  of  the  ready  had,  also  the  opinion  of  the 

apostles  at  the  Ascension  is  not  Church  fathers,  Enoch  does  not 

recorded  in  the  Gospels,  they  are  finally    enter    heaven    until    the 

almost  always  represented  in  this  time  of  the  end.     Cf.  the  teach- 

position  by  the   painters.     Many  ing  of  John  iii.13;  I  Cor.  xv.20; 

painters  also  represent  Christ  as  Rev.  i.5. 

surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  ^Probably  intended  to  be  iden- 
angels,  and  the  souls  of  those  tified  with  the  Jairus  of  Mark 
whom  he  had  delivered  from  the  v.22;  Luke  viii.41,  already  men- 
underworld,  tioned  in  this  apocryphal  litera- 

^Cf.  Deut.  xvii.6;  xix.15;  Mat.  ture. 

xviii.i6.  ''Cf.  Deut.  xxxiv.S,  6.    The  idea 

"Abudem     and    various     other  that    Moses    was    taken   up   into 

forms    are    given    by    different  heaven    was    found    early,    e.   g. 

Mss.  Josephus,    Clement    of    Alexan- 

"Cf.  Gen.  V.24;  Heb.  xi.5,  also  dria,    etc.      The    Assumption    of 

Ecclus.    xliv.i6.     But    according  Moses,  which  is   still  extant,  is 

to    legends    which    we    have   al-  of  early  date. 


THE  JEWS  CITE  SCRIPTURE  451 

a  sign  spoken  against?'"^  And  Rabbi  Isaac  said,  "It  is 
written  in  the  law,  "Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy 
face,  who  shall  go  before  thee  to  keep  thee  in  every  good 
way,  because  my  name  hath  been  called  upon  him."- 

Then  Annas  and  Caiaphas  said,  "Rightly  have  ye  said  (37) 
what  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that  no  one  saw  the  p  ^ 
death  of  Enoch,  and  no  one  hath  named  the  burying  of  holy 
Moses ;  but  Jesus  was  tried  before  Pilate,  and  we  saw  him 
receiving  blows  and  spittings  on  his  face,  and  the  soldiers 
put  about  him  a  crown  of  thorns ;  and  he  was  scourged, 
and  received  sentence  from  Pilate,  and  was  crucified  upon 
the  Cranium,  and  two  robbers  with  him ;  and  they  gave  him 
to  drink  vinegar  with  gall,  and  Longinus  the  soldier  pierced 
his  side  with  a  spear ;  and  Joseph,  our  honourable  father, 
begged  his  body,  and  hath  confessed  that  he,  along  with 
Nicodemus,  attended  to  his  body  and  buried  him ;  and  as  he 
saith,  'He  is  risen ;'  and  as  these  teachers  say,  'We  saw  him 
taken  up  into  heaven ;'  and  Rabbi  Levi  hath  given  evidence 
of  what  was  said  by  Rabbi  Simeon,  and  that  he  said, 
"Behold,  he  lieth  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in 
Israel,  and  for  a  sign  spoken  against/  "^ 

And  all  the  teachers  said  to  all  the  people  of  the  Lord,  (37"' 
"If  this  is  from  the  Lord,  and  is  wonderful  in  your  eyes,'*  '^^'' 
knowing  ye  shall  know,  O  house  of  Jacob,  that  it  is  written, 
'Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  upon  a  tree.'^  And  an- 
other scripture  teacheth,  'The  gods  which  have  not  made 
the  heaven  and  the  earth,  shall  be  destroyed.'  ""  And  the 
priests  and  the  Levites  said  to  each  other,  "If  his  memorial 
be  until  the  year  that  is  called  Jobel,''^  know  that  it  shall 

*Luke  ii.34.  *Jer.  x.ii. 

^Cf.  Ex.  xxiii.20,  21;  Mai.  iii.i ;  ^This  is  the  Hebrew  word  ju- 

Mat.  xi.io.     Cowper  here  trans-  bilee  given  in  Greek  letters.      It  is 

lates   this    last   clause,   as   given  preceded  in  the  text  by  o-w/x/^ov, 

in  (39),  "For  I  have  brought  in  which    seems    to    represent    the 

his  new  name,"  and   cites   Mat.  Hebrew     shanah,     "year."      The 

iii.i;  Is.  lxii.2.  in  connection.  whole  phrase  represents  the  ex- 

^Luke  ii.34.  pression"year  of  jubilee,"  so  often 

*Cf.  Ps.  cxviii.23.  used  in  Lev.  xxv,  although  there 

"Cf.  Deut.  xxi.23;  Gal.  111.13.  seems  little  point  or  appropriate- 


452        TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

endure  forever,  and  he  hath  raised  for  himself  a  new 
people."^  Then  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests, 
and  the  Levites  announced  to  all  Israel,  saying,  "Cursed  is 
that  man  who  shall  worship  the  works  of  man's  hand,  and 
cursed  is  the  man  who  shall  worship  the  creature  more  than 
the  creator."^  And  all  the  people  said,  "Amen,  amen,"  And 
the  chiefs  of  the  synagogue,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Levites 
said  to  each  other  how  the  law  holdeth,  saying,  "His  name 
shall  be  blessed  forever.  His  place  endureth  before  the  sun, 
and  His  seat  before  the  moon ;  and  all  the  tribes  of  Israel 
shall  be  blessed  in  Him,  and  all  the  nations  shall  serve  Him ; 
and  kings  shall  come  from  far,  adoring  and  magnifying 
Him."2 
(^y)  And  all  the  people  praised  the  Lord,  and  said,  "Blessed 
is  the  Lord  who  hath  given  rest  to  His  people  Israel,  accord- 
ing to  all  that  He  hath  spoken ;  there  hath  not  failed  one 
word  of  every  good  word  of  His  that  He  spake  to  Moses 
His  servant.*  May  the  Lord  our  God  be  with  us,  as  He 
was  with  our  fathers ;  let  Him  not  destroy  us,  that  we  may 
incline  our  hearts  to  Him,  that  we  may  walk  in  all  His  ways, 
that  we  may  keep  His  commandments  and  His  judgments 
which  He  commanded  our  fathers.^  And  the  Lord  shall 
be  for  a  king  over  all  the  earth  in  that  day ;  and  there  shall 
be  one  Lord,  and  His  name  one.^  The  Lord  is  our  king; 
He  shall  save  us.''  There  is  none  like  Thee,  O  Lord.^ 
Great  art  Thou,  O  Lord,  and  great  is  Thy  name.  By  Thy 
power,  heal  us,  O  Lord,  and  we  shall  be  healed ;  save  us,  O 
Lord,  and  we  shall  be  saved  f  because  we  are  Thy  lot  and 
heritage.  And  the  Lord  will  not  leave  His  people,  for  His 
great  name's  sake ;  for  the  Lord  hath  begun  to  make  us 
into  His  people."^" 

ness    in    its    introduction    here.  "I  Kings  viii.57,  58. 

Possibly  there  is  a  reference  in-  'Zech  xiv.9. 

tended  to  such  passages  as.  Is.  'Is.  xxxiii.22. 

lxi.1-3.  *Ps.  lxxxvi.8. 

^Cf.  Acts  XV.14.  *Cf.  Jer.  xvii.4. 

'Deut.  xxvii.is;  Rom.  1.25.  "Cf.    I    Sam.   xii.22;    I    Chr. 

^Ps.  Ixxii.ii,  17.  xxiii.3S;  Josh.  xxi.4S,  etc. 

*Josh.  xxi.45 ;  I  Kings  viii.56,  etc. 


HOW  SIMEON'S  SONS  AROSE  453 

And  Joseph  rose  up  and  said  to  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  (45) 
"Truly  and  well  do  ye  wonder,  since  ye  heard  that  Jesus 
hath  been  seen  alive  from  the  dead,  ascending  up  into 
heaven.  But  it  is  more  wonderful  that  he  hath  not  risen 
alone ;  he  is  not  the  only  one  who  hath  risen  from  the  dead, 
but  he  hath  also  raised  up  alive  out  of  the  tombs  many 
others  of  the  dead,  who  have  appeared  in  Jerusalem  to 
many.^  And  if  ye  do  not  know  the  others,  the  blessed 
Simeon,  the  great  high  priest  who  took  Jesus  up  in  his 
hands  when  an  infant  in  the  temple,  him,  at  least,  we  all 
know.  And  Simeon  himself  had  two  sons,  full  brothers ; 
and  we  were  at  their  falling  asleep  and  at  their  burial.  Go, 
therefore,  and  see  their  tombs ;  for  they  are  open  and  empty, 
because  they  have  risen ;  and,  behold,  they  are  in  the  city 
of  Arimathaea,  living  together  in  prayers.'  And  indeed 
they  are  heard  crying  out,  but  speaking  with  nobody;  and 
they  are  silent  as  the  dead.^  But  come,  let  us  go  to  Arima- 
thaea and  find  them ;  let  us  conduct  them  to  us  with  all 
honour  and  respect;  and  if  we  adjure  them,  perhaps  they 
will  speak  to  us  of  the  mystery  of  their  resurrection." 

Then  Rabbi  Adas,  Rabbi  Phinees,  and  Rabbi  Haggai,  the  U/) 
three  men  who  had  come  from  Galilee  testifying  that  they 
had  seen  Jesus  taken  up  into  heaven,  rose  up  in  the  midst 
of  the  multitude  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Jews,  and  said  before 
the  priests  and  the  Levites,  who  had  been  called  together 
to  the  council  of  the  Lord,  "When  we  were  coming  from 
Galilee,  we  met  at  the  Jordan  a  very  great  multitude  of  men, 
fathers  who  had  been  some  time  dead.     And  present  among 

^See      Mat.     xxvii.53,      which  that    Joachim    and    Anna   arose, 

verse  seems  to  be  the  foundation  and    those    of    Maria    d'Agreda 

on  which  all  the  following  nar-  mention  the  resurrection  of  Jo- 

rative  is   constructed.  soph. 

^According     to     later     fathers,  'According    to   Jewish    beliefs, 

Zacharias,     John     the     Baptist,  c.  g.  Eisenmenger,  II.  897,  Mes- 

Simeon,  Joachim,  and  Anna  and  siah  should  raise  the  dead,  and 

Joseph,  amongst  those  who  had  the    account    here    given    agrees 

died  in  recent  times,  also  arose  perfectly  with  Rabbinical  repre- 

at  this  time.    The  Revelations  of  sentations. 
St.     Bridget     particularly     state 
33 


454        TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

them  we  saw  Charinus  and  Leucius.  And  they  came  up 
to  us,  and  we  kissed  each  other,  because  they  were  dear 
friends  of  ours;  and  we  asked  them,  'Tell  us,  friends  and 
brothers,  what  is  this  breath  of  life  and  flesh  ?  and  who  are 
those  with  whom  ye  are  going,  and  how  do  ye,  who  have 
been  some  time  dead,  remain  in  the  body?'  And  they  said 
in  answer,  'We  have  risen  again  along  with  Christ  from  the 
lower  world;  and  he  hath  raised  us  again  from  the  dead. 
And  from  this  ye  may  know  that  the  gates  of  death  and 
darkness  have  been  destroyed,  and  the  souls  of  the  saints 
have  been  brought  out  thence,  and  have  ascended  into 
heaven  along  with  Christ  the  Lord.  And,  indeed,  to  us  it 
hath  been  commanded  by  the  Lord  Himself,  that  for  an 
appointed  time  we  should  walk  over  the  banks  of  Jordan 
and  the  mountains ;  not,  however,  appearing  to  every  one, 
nor  speaking  to  every  one,  except  to  those  to  whom  He  hath 
permitted  us.^  And  just  now  we  neither  could  have  spoken 
nor  appeared  to  you,  unless  it  had  been  allowed  to  us  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.' " 
(47)  And  when  they  heard  this,  all  the  multitude  who  were 
present  in  the  council  were  struck  with  fear  and  trembling, 
and  wondered  whether  these  things  had  really  happened, 
which  these  Galilaeans  testified.  Then  Annas  and  Caia- 
phas  said  to  the  council,  "What  these  have  testified,  first 
and  last,  must  shortly  be  altogether  made  clear.  If  it  shall 
be  found  to  be  true  that  Charinus  and  Leucius  remain  alive 
in  the  body,  and  if  we  shall  be  able  to  behold  them  with  our 
own  eyes,  then  what  they  testify  is  altogether  true ;  and  if 
we  find  them,  they  will  inform  us  of  everything;  but  if  not, 
ye  may  know  that  it  is  all  lies." 
(45)  Then  the  council  having  suddenly  risen,  it  pleased  them 
l^^^  to  choose  men  fit  for  the  duty,  fearing  God  and  who  knew 
when  they  died  and  where  they  were  buried,  to  inquire 
diligently,  and  to  see  whether  it  was  as  they  had  heard. 

'Certainly  there  is  here  the  in-  ceasingly  and  cannot  communi- 

fluence  of  the  classical  belief  as  cate  with  men ;  the  modern  idea 

to  the  state  of  the  dead ;   pale,  of  ghosts  is  almost  identical, 
restless  shades  that  wander  un- 


SIMEON'S  SONS  ARE  FOUND  455 

The  men  therefore  proceeded  to  the  same  place,  fifteen  in 
number/  who  through  all  were  present  at  their  falling 
asleep,  and  had  stood  at  their  feet  when  they  were  buried, 
and  had  beheld  their  tombs.  And  they  came  and  found 
their  tombs  open,  and  very  many  others  besides,  and  found 
a  sign  neither  of  their  bones  nor  of  their  dust.  And  they 
returned  in  all  haste,  and  reported  what  they  had  seen. 

Then  all  their  synagogue  was  in  great  grief  and  per-  (45) 
plexity;  and  they  said  to  each  other,  "What  shall  we  do?"  ^A 
Annas  and  Caiaphas  said,  "Let  us  turn  to  where  we  have 
heard  that  they  are,  and  let  us  send  to  them  men  of  rank, 
asking  and  entreating  them ;  perhaps  they  will  deign  to 
come  to  us."  Then  they  sent  to  them  Nicodemus  and 
Joseph,  and  the  three  men,  the  Galilaean  rabbis  who  had 
seen  them,  asking  that  they  should  deign  to  come  to  them. 
And  they  went  and  walked  round  all  the  region  of  Jordan 
and  of  the  mountains,  and  they  were  coming  back  without 
finding  them.  And,  behold,  suddenly  there  appeared  com- 
ing down  from  Mount  Mamilch  a  very  great  number,  as  it 
were  twelve  thousand  men,^  who  had  risen  with  the  Lord. 
And  though  they  recognized  very  many  there,  they  were  not 
able  to  say  anything  to  them  for  fear  and  the  angelic  vision ; 
and  they  stood  at  a  distance,  gazing,  and  hearing  them,  how 
they  walked  along,  singing  praises,  and  saying,  "The  Lord 
hath  risen  again  from  the  dead,  as  He  had  said ;  let  us  all 
exult  and  be  glad,  since  He  reigneth  forever."  Then  those 
who  had  been  sent  were  astonished,  and  fell  to  the  ground 
for  fear,  and  received  the  answer  from  them,  that  they 
should  see  Charinus  and  Leucius  at  their  own  houses.^ 

And  they  rose  up  and  went  to  their  houses  in  Arimathaea,  (45") 
and  found  them  on  their  bended  knees,  spending  their  time  qA 

^According    to     (46),    it    was  combining  of  two  scarcely  recon- 

Annas,      Caiaphas,      Nicodemus,  cilable  versions   of  this  Gnostic 

Joseph,  and  Gamaliel  who  went  romance.     According  to  one,   it 

on  this  quest,  as  well  as  on  the  was  known  at  the  beginning  that 

second  one  to  Arimathaea.  the     two     men     were     in     Ari- 

''Cf.  possibly.  Rev.  vii.5-9.  mathaea ;  according  to  the  other, 

^There   is    slight    confusion   in  search  had  to  be  made  for  them, 
this  paragraph  on  account  of  the 


45(3        TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

in  prayer.  And  going  to  them,  they  fell  on  their  faces  to 
the  ground,  saluting  and  kissing  them ;  and  being  raised  up, 
they  said,  "O  friends  of  God,  all  the  multitude  of  the  Jews 
have  directed  us  to  you,  hearing  that  ye  have  risen  from  the 
dead,  asking  and  beseeching  you  to  come  to  them,  that  we 
all  may  know  the  great  things  of  God  which  have  hap- 
pened around  us  in  our  times."  And  they  immediately,  at 
a  sign  from  God,  rose  up,  and  came  with  them.  And  they 
conducted  them  to  Jerusalem  with  all  veneration  and  fear 
of  God,  and  entered  the  synagogue. 
(45)  Then  the  multitude  of  the  Jews  with  the  priests  secured 
/^^^  the  doors,  and  lifting  up  the  books  of  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
they  put  them  in  their  hands,  and  adjured  them  by  the  God 
Heloi,  and  the  God  Adonai,^  the  God  of  Israel  who  by  the 
law  and  prophets  spake  to  the  fathers,  saying,  "Tell  us 
how  ye  have  risen  from  the  dead.  Do  ye  believe  that  it  was 
Jesus  who  raised  you  from  the  dead?  And  what  are  these 
wonderful  things  which  have  happened  in  our  times,  such 
as  we  have  never  heard  to  have  happened  at  any  other 
time?  Because  already  for  fear  all  our  bones  have  been 
benumbed,  and  have  dried  up,  and  the  earth  moveth  itself 
under  our  feet ;  for  we  have  joined  all  our  hearts  to  shed 
righteous  and  holy  blood." 
(45)  Then  Charinus  and  Leucius,  hearing  this  adjuration, 
i^^}  trembled  in  their  body,  and  groaned,  being  disturbed  in 
heart.  And  together  they  looked  toward  heaven,  and  with 
their  fingers  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  their  tongues. 
And  they  signed  to  them  with  their  hands  to  give  them 
sheets  of  paper,  and  ink.-     And  this  they  did  because  the 

^These  Hebrew  forms  of,  and  (46)    says    that    the   men    spoke 

circumlocutions  for,  the  name  of  together,  saying,  "Give  us  sheets 

God,  are  much  used  in  Gnostic  of  paper,  and  ink";  according  to 

writings.      Adonai     became     in  this,  the  sign  of  the  cross  must 

Greek    Adoneus,   and   was    used  have  been  to  loosen  their  tongues 

as  a  synonym  for  Pluto.  this    far;    (47),    which    I    have 

^(45)     does    not    contain    the  principally    followed    from    this 
story   of   the   two   writings,  but  on,  is  the  latest  and  furthest  de- 
implies    that    the    brothers    to-  veloped  form  of  the  romance, 
gether   wrote  but   one   account; 


THE  WRITINGS  BY  SIMEON'S  SONS  457  ' 

Holy  Spirit  did  not  allow  them  to  speak  to  them.  And 
they  gave  each  of  them  paper,  and  put  them  apart,  the  one 
frem  the  other  in  separate  cells.^  And  they,  making  with 
their  fingers  the  sign  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  began  to  write 
on  the  separate  sheets.  And  they  wrote  the  account  of  the 
Lord's  descent  into  hell.-  And  after  they  had  finished, 
as  if  out  of  one  mouth,  from  the  separate  cells  they  cried 
out,  "Amen."  And  rising  up,  Charinus  gave  his  paper  to 
Annas,  and  Leucius  his  to  Caiaphas;-^  and  suddenly  becom- 
ing transfigured,  they  became  exceeding  white;*  and  salut- 
ing each  other,  they  went  out,  and  returned  to  their  sepul- 
chres, and  were  seen  no  more. 

Then  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  opening  the  sheets  of  paper,  (46) 
began  each  to  read  them  in  secret.  But  all  the  people  took  (47 ) 
it  ill,  and  so  all  cried  out,  "Read  these  writings  to  us  open- 
ly; and  after  they  have  been  read  through  we  shall  keep 
them,  lest  perchance  the  truth  of  God  be  turned  through 
wulful  blindness,  by  unclean  and  deceitful  men,  into  false- 
hood." At  this,  Annas  and  Caiaphas  fell  a-trembling,  and 
delivered  the  sheets  of  paper  to  Rabbi  Adas,  and  Rabbi 
Phinees,  and  Rabbi  Haggai,  who  had  come  from  Galilee, 
and  announced  that  Jesus  had  been  taken  up  into  heaven. 
All  the  multitude  of  the  Jews  trusted  to  them  to  read  the 
writing.     And  they  read  the  paper  of  Charinus. 

And  when  the  paper  was  read  through  and  finished,  all  (46) 

(A7) 

^This  and  the  sequel  are  evi-  found  not  to  vary  from  each 
dent  adaptations  of  the  legend  other  by  a  single  word  or  letter, 
as   to   how   the    Septuagint   ver-  "As  given   in  chaps.   XXVIII, 

sion  of  the  Old  Testament  was      XXIX. 

made.     According  to  the  Letter  ^I     here     follow     (47).     (46) 

of  Aristaeus,  Ptolemy  II.  Phila-  says  that  Leucius  gave  his  paper 
delphus  secured  six  learned  men  to  Nicodemus  and  Joseph,  and 
from  each  tribe  of  Israel  to  Charinus  his  to  Annas,  Caiaphas, 
translate  the  O.  T.  into  Greek,  and  Gamaliel ;  it  proceeds  at 
The  seventy-two  men  were  once  to  the  climax,  that  the  writ- 
placed  in  separate  cells  on  the  ings  were  found  to  be  identical, 
island  of  Pharus ;  each  com-  *Cf.  Mark  ix.3,  etc.  Some  ver- 
pleted  his  separate  version  in  sions  say  that  their  garments  be- 
seventy-two  days,  and  when  the  came  white. 
Mss.  were  compared,  they  were 


458       TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

the  synagogue  of  the  Jews,  having  heard  these  wonderful 
words,  fell  on  their  faces,  weeping  bitterly,  and  cruelly 
beating  their  breasts,  crying  out  and  saying  through  all, 
"Woe  to  us!  Why  hath  this  happened  to  us  wretched? 
Pilate  fleeth!  Annas  and  Caiaphas  fleel  The  priests  and 
Levites  flee !  Moreover,  also  the  people  of  Jerusalem,  the 
Jews,  are  weeping  and  saying,  'Woe  to  us  wretched !  We 
have  shed  sacred  blood  upon  the  earth !'  Truly  all  these 
things  have  been  done  by  the  Lord,  and  blessed  be  the  Lord 
forever  and  ever.     Amen." 

(46)  And  they  went  away  each  to  his  own  house.  For  three 
days,  therefore,  and  three  nights,  they  did  not  taste  bread 
and  water  at  all ;  nor  did  any  of  them  return  to  the  syna- 
gogue. But  on  the  third  day  again  the  council  was  assem- 
bled, and  the  other  paper  of  Leucius  was  read  through ; 
and  it  was  found  neither  more  nor  less  to  a  single  letter, 
than  that  which  the  writing  of  Charinus  contained.  Then 
the  synagogue  was  perplexed ;  and  they  all  lamented  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  looking  for  destruction  from  God, 
and  the  vengeance  of  God.  But  He,  pitier,  affectionate 
and  most  high,  did  not  immediately  destroy  them,  bounti- 
fully giving  them  a  place  of  repentance.  But  they  were  not 
found  worthy  to  be  turned  to  the  Lord. 

(6)  Now  there  had  also  been  great  malice  in  the  hearts  of  the 
Jews  who  crucified  the  Lord,  against  the  wood  of  the  cross, 
wishing  to  hide  it.  And  after  the  Lord  was  risen,  the  cross 
was  fixed  in  the  place  in  which  it  was  nailed.  And  when  the 
tumult  was  a  little  abated,  for  the  disciples  were  hidden  for 
fear  of  the  Jews,^  Joseph  of  Arimathaea  arose  and  came 
unto  Nicodemus,  saying  unto  him,  "Behold,  the  chief  priests 
and  the  rest  of  the  Jews  take  counsel,  saying,  'Let  us  burn 
the  wood  on  which  Jesus  was  crucified.' "  So  Joseph,  with 
Nicodemus,  arose  by  night,  and  they  both  went  to  the  place 
of  the  skull  without  the  city,  where  they  crucified  Jesus. 
And  they  took  away  the  cross  of  Jesus  and  the  title  of 
Pilate^  which  was  nailed  to  it.     There  they  found  the  nails 

'Cf.  the  Gospel  of  Peter,  6.  there  is  an  account  of  the  finding 

''Among  the  Rossi   Pap.  Cop.      of  the  title  of  the  cross  in  the 


THE  CROSS  HIDDEN  IN  THE  TOMB      459 

also  which  were  nailed  to  his  hands  and  his  feet,  nailed  to 
the  cross.  And  thus  they  took  them  away  and  those  also 
of  the  robbers.  They  could  not  go  with  them  into  the  city 
for  fear  of  the  Jews.  Joseph,  therefore,  said  to  Nicodemus, 
"Let  us  take  them  into  the  tomb  in  which  Jesus  was  laid ; 
for  also  it  is  mine,  and  a  body  I  never  laid  in  it."  So  they 
arose  thence,  and  took  them  into  the  tomb,  for  it  was  nigh 
to  the  place  where  Jesus  was  crucified.  And  having  taken 
them  into  the  tomb,  they  rolled  the  stone  to  the  door  of  the 
tomb,  and  went  their  way.  And  no  one  knew  for  a  great 
while  that  which  they  did.^ 

Now  the  disciples  and  the  multitude  of  the  faithful  were  (6) 
going  forth  secretly  to  the  tomb  by  night,  praying;^  so  that 


time  of  Constantine.  This  al- 
leged relic  was  shown  in  later 
times. 

^\nother  legend  regarding  the 
disposal  of  the  cross,  also  the 
crown  of  thorns,  spear,  and 
robes  worn  by  Christ,  is  found 
in  the  Syriac  Transitus  Beatae 
Virginis,  given  by  Wright  on  p. 
28  seq.  The  Jews  when  ques- 
tioned before  the  Hegemon,  ap- 
parently several  years  after  the 
Crucifixion,  admitted  that  they 
had  buried  these  in  the  ground 
thirty  cubits  deep ;  the  crosses 
of  the  thieves  were  buried  near. 
They  made  a  hole  in  the  earth, 
reaching  down  to  the  head  of 
the  Lord's  cross.  Whoever 
reached  down  and  touched  it, 
was  healed  of  all  disease,  and 
the  Jews  said  they  knew  of 
10,502  persons  in  Jerusalem  who 
had  been  cured  in  this  manner. 
Also,  one  Jonadab  had  one  of 
the  nails  concealed  in  his  house, 
by  which  he  had  healed  550  per- 
sons and  become  rich  through 
the   fees   given   him.     The   He- 


gemon punished  the  Jews,  but 
would  not  allow  the  cross  to  be 
brought  forth,  commanding  it  to 
be  covered  with  stones  to  ten 
times  the  height  of  a  man ;  he 
said  that  the  Lord  would  in  His 
own  time  bring  forth  the  cross. 
This  legend  is  adapted  to  au- 
thenticate the  account  of  Hel- 
ena's discovery  of  the  three 
crosses  buried  on  Calvary,  in 
A.  D.  328.  Christ's  was  distin- 
guished from  those  of  the 
thieves  by  a  sick  women  being 
healed  by  touching  it.  In  com- 
memoration of  this  event,  the 
Church  still  celebrates  the  Feast 
of  the  Invention  of  the  Cross, 
on  May  3d.  The  later  history  of 
the  true  cross  is  voluminous. 
The  Feast  of  the  Exaltation  of 
the  Cross  celebrates  the  recov- 
ery of  this  relic  from  Chosroes 
king  of  Persia,  who  had  carried 
it  away  from  Jerusalem ;  Hera- 
clius  defeated  him  in  battle  on 
Sep.   14,  615. 

°This  legend,  the  beginning  of 
the    Holy     Sepulchre     cycle,     is 


46o        TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST 

many  who  were  troubled  by  unclean  spirits  came,  that  they 
might  but  touch  the  stone  that  was  at  the  door  of  the  tomb. 
And  they  would  cry  out  straightway,  saying,  "O  Jesus, 
thou  didst  rebuke  us  when  thou  wert  in  the  flesh.  And  also 
when  thou  wast  crucified,  behold,  the  wood  on  which  thou 
wast  crucified,  and  the  tomb  in  which  thou  wast  laid,  were 
made  manifest ;  troubling  us  and  casting  us  out  of  the 
bodies  which  were  yielded  to  us." 

(6)  And  at  that  time  there  was  a  great  Jew  in  Jerusalem, 
abounding  much  in  great  wealth,  whose  name  was  Cleopas. 
He  was  diseased  in  the  feet,  and  had  not  walked  for  a  great 
while;  neither  could  he  ride  on  an  animal,  but  he  used  to  be 
placed  on  a  litter  and  taken  to  be  bathed.  Now  that  man, 
even  Cleopas,  did  not  indeed  go  in  the  counsel  of  the  lawless 
Jews,  at  the  time  they  crucified  the  Lord ;  but  he  gave  com- 
mand also  to  his  kinsmen  and  to  his  servants,  saying,  "Con- 
sent not  with  the  Jews  who  will  kill  this  righteous  man ;  for 
they  will  kill  him  for  jealousy.  For  also  he  is  the  son  of 
Mary,  the  daughter  of  Cleopas^  the  brother  of  my  father; 
and  according  to  the  prophecies  which  the  prophets  spake, 
he  is  the  Son  of  God."  Moreover,  Rufus,^  the  only  son  of 
Cleopas,  was  sick.  And  he  said  to  his  servants,  "Go,  take 
a  pick,  and  hew  the  tomb  of  my  son  near  the  tomb  of  the 
Son  of  God ;  and  when  I  also  die,  place  me  in  it." 

(6)  Now  after  two  days,  Rufus  the  son  of  Cleopas  died. 
Now  that  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  they  could  not  take  him 
out  to  bury  him.  But  in  the  morning,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  they  gave  diligence  to  take  him  out,  that  he  might 
not  stink.  And  they  took  him  up  and  Cleopas  his  father, 
and  they  went  with  him.  And  when  they  came  to  the  tomb, 
they  set  him  down  by  the  tomb  of  Jesus,  until  they  opened 
the  door  of  the  tomb.     And  they  placed  his  father  by  him, 

made  especially  prominent  in  the  tified  with  the  Rufus  mentioned 

abundant      literature     regarding  in   chap.    XV,   although  the   de- 

the  Assumption  of  Mary.  scription    does    not    agree    with 

'See  note  on  chap.  I,  regarding  what  seems  to  be  intended  there, 

Joachim.     Much    legend    points  the    former's    identification   with 

to  Cleopas  as  his  true  name.  the  Rufus  of  Mark  xv.2i, 

"Possibly  intended  to  be  iden- 


RUFUS  RAISED  FROM  THE  DEAD         461 

his  back  being  stayed  up  by  the  stone,  which  was  at  the  door 
of  the  tomb  of  Jesus.  And  Cleopas  was  weeping,  saying, 
"Would,  O  my  beloved  son,  that^  Jesus  were  yet  alive ;  for 
I  would  have  gone  unto  him  and  besought  him  to  come  and 
raise  thee.  For  also  he  brought  back  many  that  were  dead. 
He  raised  one,  even  Lazarus,  who  had  been  four  days  al- 
ready in  the  tomb,  and  behold,  he  is  in  the  body  to-day. 
And  he  raised  the  daughter  of  Jairus  the  ruler  of  the  syn- 
agogue. Nevertheless,  Jesus  will  receive  thee."  Now  as 
he  was  yet  saying  these  things,  a  great  and  sweet  savour 
was  given  forth  from  the  tomb  of  Jesus.  Cleopas  saw  with 
his  eyes  a  figure  of  the  cross  come  forth^  from  the  tomb  of 
Jesus.  It  rested  upon  him  that  was  dead;  and  straight- 
way he  arose  and  sat.  Now  when  Cleopas  saw  his  son  sit- 
ting, he  leaped  up  straightway  and  stood,  as  though  his  feet 
were  not  at  all  diseased. 

*A   lacuna   begins   in    the    Ms.  Peter,  10,  as  embodied  in  chap, 

with  this  word,  and  I  have  con-  XXX;    the    accompanying    fra- 

jecturally     completed     the     sen-  grance    seems    to   be    an    almost 

tence.  invariable      element      in      such 

^For    the  cross    coming    forth  stories. 
from   the    tomb,    cf.    Gospel    of 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

PILATE'S   INQUIRIES   AND   THE   LETTERS   TO   CAESAR. 

Pilate  informed  of  the  Jews'  Proceedings — Calls  a 
Council — The  Jews  confess  that  Christ  was  the 
Messiah — Pilate  records  these  Things — Writes  to 
Caesar  telling  of  Christ's  Life — Of  His  Miracles — 
His  Unjust  Trial — The  Wonders  of  His  Crucifixion 
AND    Resurrection  —  Pilate's    Terror  —  Letters    of 

ThEODORUS   AND   PiLATE — AbGAR's   LeTTER   TO   CaESAR — 

Wishes  to  avenge  the  Saviour. 

Main  Sources:  (25) — History  of  Armenia,  by  Moses  of  Chorene, 

VIII. 
(46) — Gospel  of  Nicodemus,   Part  II,  First  Latin 

Form,  11-13. 
(48) — Report  of  Pilate  the  Procurator    concerning 

Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  First  Greek  Form. 
(49) — Report  of  Pilate  the  Procurator    concerning 

Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Second  Greek  Form. 
(56) — Letter  of  Pontius  Pilate. 
(57) — Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul. 
(58) — Teaching  of  Addaeus  the  Apostle. 
(59) — Epistles  of  Herod  and  Pilate,  Syriac  Form. 
(61)— Departure  of  Marath  Mary  from  the  World. 

(46)  Now  all  these  things  which  were  said  by  the  Jews  in 
their  synagogues,  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  had  immediately 
reported  to  the  pro-consul.  And  Pilate  himself  wrote  all 
which  had  been  done  and  said  concerning  Jesus,  by  the 
Jews ;  and  he  placed  all  the  words  in  the  public  records  of 
his  praetorium.^ 

^Many  have  seriously  contended  that  Pilate  left  such  records. 

(462) 


PILATE  CALLS  A  COUNCIL  463 

After  this,  Pilate,  going  into  the  temple  of  the  Jews,  as-  (46) 
sembled  all  the  chief  priests,  and  learned  men,  and  scribes, 
and  teachers  of  the  law,  and  went  in  with  them  into  the 
sanctuary  of  the  temple  ;^  and  ordered  that  all  the  gates 
should  be  shut,  and  said  to  them,  "We  have  heard  that  ye 
have  a  certain  great  collection  of  books  in  this  temple  ;- 
therefore  I  ask  you  that  it  be  presented  before  us."  And 
when  four  officers  brought  in  that  collection  of  books,^ 
adorned  with  gold  and  precious  stones,  Pilate  said  to  all, 
"I  adjure  you  by  the  God  of  your  fathers,  who  ordered  you 
to  build  this  temple  in  the  place  of  His  sanctuary,  not  to 
conceal  the  truth  from  me.  Ye  all  know  what  is  written  in 
that  collection  of  books ;  but  now  say  whether  ye  have  found 
in  the  writings  that  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  to  be  the 
Son  of  God  that  was  to  come  for  the  salvation  of  the  human 
race ;  and  in  how  many  revolutions  of  the  seasons  he  ought 
to  come.  Declare  to  me  whether  ye  in  ignorance  of  this 
crucified  him,  or  knowing  it." 

Being   thus   adjured,   Annas   and    Caiaphas   ordered   all  (46) 
others  who  were  with  them  to  go  out  of  the  sanctuary ;  and 
themselves  shut  all  the  gates  of  the  temple  and  the  sanc- 

^A  more  glaring  blunder  could  people."     The    Seventy    referred 

scarcely  have  been  made  than  to  to    in    the    following   paragraph, 

represent  the  heathen   Pilate  as  were    evidently    then    the    apoc- 

being    permitted    to     enter    the  ryphal       writings ;       subtracting 

sanctuary.  these   from  the  total  of  ninet}'- 

*A     probable    origin     of     this  four    books     (according    to    the 

story   about    the    library    in    the  Arabic     and     evidently     correct 

temple    is    the    narrative    of    IV  version),    twenty-four,    the    tra- 

Esdras    (II  Esdras   in  the  Eng.  ditional     number    of    books    of 

version      of      the      Apocrypha),  the    canonical     Old    Testament. 

xiv.44-47.    According  to  this,  204  according  to  some,  remain.     See 

books  were  written  in  forty  days  third  note  on  chap.  XV.   Epipha- 

(or  94  books   according  to   the  nius  and  John  of  Damascus  state 

Arabic    version).     Esdras     said  that  a  library  of  the  writings  of 

that  the  Highest  commanded  to  the  Old  Testament  was  kept  in 

publish  openly  the  first  he  had  a  chest  in  the  temple, 
written  that  all  might  read  them,  *The  collection  of  books  is  not 

"but  keep  the  seventy  last  that  represented  as  a  very  large  one, 

thou    mayest   deliver   them   only  since  four  men  sufficed  to  bring 

to  such  as  be  wise  among  the  it  in. 


464  INQUIRIES  AND  LETTERS 

tuary,  and  said  to  Pilate,  "We  have  been  adjured  by  thee, 
O  good  judge,  by  the  building  of  this  temple,  to  give  thee 
the  truth,  and  a  clear  account  of  this  matter.  After  we 
had  crucified  Jesus,  not  knowing  him  to  be  the  Son  of  God, 
thinking  that  he  did  miracles  by  some  charm,^  we  made  a 
great  synagogue  in  this  temple.-  And  conferring  with  each 
other  of  the  signs  and  miracles  which  Jesus  had  done,  we 
found  many  witnesses  of  our  nation  who  said  that  they  had 
seen  Jesus  alive  after  suffering  death,  and  that  he  had  pene- 
trated into  the  height  of  heaven.  And  we  have  seen  two 
witnesses,  whom  Jesus  raised  up  again  from  the  dead,  who 
told  us  many  wonderful  things  that  Jesus  did  among  the 
dead,  which  we  have  in  our  hands,  written  out.  And  our 
custom  is,  every  year  before  our  synagogue,  to  open  that 
holy  collection  of  books,  and  seek  out  the  testimony  of  God. 
And  we  have  found  in  the  first  book  of  the  LXX.,^  where 
the  archangel  Michael  spake  to  the  third  son  of  Adam  the 
first  man,  of  five  thousand  and  five  hundred  years,  in  which 
the  Christ,  the  most  beloved  Son  of  God,  was  to  come  from 
the  heavens  ;*  and  upon  this  we  have  considered  that  per- 
haps He  was  the  God  of  Israel  who  said  to  Moses,  'Make 
to  thee  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  two  cubits  and  a  half  in 
length,  one  cubit  and  a  half  in  breadth,  one  cubit  and  a  half 
in  height.'^  In  these  five  and  a  half  cubits  we  have  under- 
stood and  recognized  from  the  structure  of  the  ark  of  the  old 
covenant,  that  in  five  and  a  half  thousands  of  years,®  Jesus 
Christ  was  to  come  in  the  ark  of  the  body;  and  we  have 

'See    preceding    notes    regard-  Septuagint ;    but    I    take    it    to 

ing    Christ's    possession    of    the  mean,  as  indicated  in  the  second 

shem  hammphorash.  note   on   this   chapter,   a   collec- 

"We    have    often    already   met  tion  of  apocryphal  books.     The 

with    apparent    references    to    a  Little    Genesis,    which    contains 

synagogue    held    in    the    temple.  the     following     story,     is     most 

It    is    a    disputed    point    as    to  probably   the   first   book   of   the 

whether  there  really  was  such  a  Seventy  here  meant, 
thing;  there  is  al:  least  some  evi-  *See    chap.    XXVIII    and    ac- 

dence  for  it.    See  Edersheim,  II,  companying  notes, 
p.   742.  ^Ex.  XXV. ID. 

^The  LXX.  is  certainly  not,  as         *See  notes  on  chap.  XXVIII. 
might  at  first  sight  appear,  the 


THE  DATE  OF  CHRIST'S  ADVENT  465 

found  Him  to  be  the  God  of  Israel,  the  Son  of  God,  Be- 
cause after  his  passion,  we,  the  chief  priests,  wondering  at 
the  signs  which  happened  on  account  of  him,  opened  the 
collection  of  books,  searching  out  all  the  generations,  even 
to  the  generation  of  Joseph,  and  reckoning  that  Mary  the 
mother  of  Christ  was  of  the  seed  of  David;  and  we  have 
found  that  from  the  time  that  God  made  the  heaven  and  the 
earth  and  the  first  man,  to  the  deluge,  are  two  thousand, 
two  hundred,  and  twelve  years  /  and  from  the  deluge  to  the 
building  of  the  tower,  five  hundred  and  thirty-one  years ; 
and  from  the  building  of  the  tower  to  Abraham,  six  hun- 
dred and  six-  years ;  and  from  Abraham  to  the  arrival  of 
the  children  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  four  hundred  and  seventy 
years;  from  the  coming  of  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt  to  the  building  of  the  temple,  five  hundred  and  eleven 
years ;  and  from  the  building  of  the  temple  to  the  destruction 
of  the  same  temple,  four  hundred  and  sixty-four  years. 
Thus  far  have  we  found  in  the  book  of  Esdras.  After 
searching,  we  find  that  from  the  burning  of  the  temple  to 
the  advent  of  Christ,  and  His  birth,  there  are  six  hundred 
and  thirty-six^  years,  which  together  were  five  thousand 
five  hundred  years,"*  as  we  have  found  written  in  the  book 
that  Michael  the  archangel  foretold  to  Seth,  the  third  son 

^Mss.  differ  much  as  to  this,  deserve  serious  study  and  com- 
and  all  these  dates.  The  Ante-  parison,  even  from  the  apo- 
Nicene  says  that  this  one  should  cryphal  student's  standpoint, 
be  2262,  and  Hofmann  gives  "The  Ante-Nicene  notes  that 
2512  as  an  alternative  reading.  this  should  be  676. 
The  Usherian  estimate  for  this  ^The  Ante-Nicene  notes  that 
period  is  1656.  Some  Mss.  read  this  should  be  586. 
next,  "from  the  Flood  to  Abra-  *The  sum  of  the  numbers,  as 
ham,  912  (960)  years,  from  given  above  in  my  text,  is  5430, 
Abraham  to  Moses,  430,  from  and  not  5500  years.  The  text 
Moses  to  David,  510,  from  which  Hofmann  used  gives  an 
David  to  the  Babylonian  captiv-  even  lower  total,  or  4964.  The 
ity,  500,  from  the  Babylonian  text  above  can  be  made  to  pro- 
captivity  to  the  incarnation  of  duce  the  5500  total  by  changing 
Christ,  538  years,"  etc.  These  606  to  676,  which  probably  rep- 
trifling  fancies  of  (46),  a  docu-  resents  the  original  state  of  the 
ment   of   very   late   date,   scarce  text. 


466  INQUIRIES  AND  LETTERS 

of  Adam/  that  in  five  and  a  half  thousands  of  years,  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  would  come.  Even  until  now  we  have  told 
no  one,  that  there  might  be  no  dissension  in  our  synagogues. 
And  now  thou  hast  adjured  us,  O  good  judge,  by  this  holy 
book  of  the  testimonies  of  God ;  and  we  make  it  manifest 
to  thee.  And  now  we  adjure  thee,  by  thy  life  and  safety, 
to  make  manifest  these  words  to  no  one  in  Jerusalem." 

(46)  Pilate  hearing  these  words  of  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  laid 
them  all  up  in  the  acts  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  in  the 
public  records  of  his  praetorium  f  and  along  with  his  private 
report  wrote  a  letter  to  Claudius,^  king  of  the  city  of  Rome, 
saying  :* 

(46)      To  the  most  mighty,  venerable,  most  divine  and  most  ter- 

/^  X  rible,  the  august  Emperor  Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate 

(56)  the  Governor  of  the  East  sendeth  greeting: 

I  have,  O  most  mighty  Emperor,  a  narrative  to  report  to 
thy  reverence,  on  account  of  which  I  am  seized  with  fear 
and  trembling.  For  whilst,  according  to  the  command- 
ment of  thy  clemency,  I  was  discharging  the  duties  of  my 
government  in  one  of  its  cities  which  is  called  Jerusalem, 
in  which  is  built  the  temple  of  the  Jewish  nation ;  all  the 
people  of  the  Jews  came  together,  and  delivered  to  me  a 
man  named  Jesus  (upon  whose  case  I  had  clearly  set  forth 

^See  notes  on  chap.  XXVIII,  tained    in    (46)    and    (57).     Be- 

and  for  the  books  given  to  Seth,  sides    these,    which    agree   well 

of  which  the  legends  are  num-  enough  in  their  main  Hnes,  there 

erous,  see  Fabricius,  Vet.  Test.,  is    another    and    much    shorter 

I,  p.  152  seq.  one,  contained   in   Xavier's   Per- 

^See  first  note  on  this  chapter.  sian    Life    of   Christ.     It    reads, 

^It  is  perhaps  worth  noting  that  "At   that   time   in   this   territory 

the    Emperor's    full    name    was,  there  was  a  certain  man  whom 

Tiberius  Claudius  Drusus  Nero,  his    disciples    called    God,    and 

He   died    near   a.  d.    37,   after   a  who  performed  various  miracles, 

reign    of    twenty-two    and    one-  whom  many  men  have  seen,  and 

half  years.  who  ascended  alive  into  heaven, 

^To  form  the  version   of  this  and  his   disciples   now  do  great 

letter  which  follows,  I  have  com-  things  in  his  name,  and  testify 

bined  the  three  letters  of  Pilate,  that  he  is  God,  and  a  teacher  of 

designated,  (56),  (48),  and  the  way  of  salvation  in  truth." 
(49),  as  well  as  the  letters  con- 


PILATE'S  LETTER  TO  CAESAR  467 

to  thee  in  my  last),  through  envy  bringing  many  groundless 
charges  against  him,  which  they  were  not  able  to  convict 
him  of  by  the  consistency  of  their  evidence.  In  short,  when 
their  fathers  had  a  promise  that  their  God  would  send  them 
from  heaven  his  holy  one,  who  should  deservedly  be  called 
their  king,  and  promised  that  He  would  send  him  by  a  vir- 
gin on  earth ;  when,  therefore,  I  was  procurator,  he  had 
come  into  Judaea.  And  the  people  have  punished  them- 
selves and  their  posterity  by  a  cruel  condemnation  of  him 
to  a  bitter  death,  I,  myself,  being  in  a  sort  unwilling  and 
rather  afraid. 

And  one  of  the  heresies  they  had  against  him  was  that  (46) 
Jesus  had  said  that  their  Sabbath  should  not  be  a  day  of  A  I 
leisure,  and  should  not  be  observed.  For  he  performed  (57) 
many  cures  on  that  day,  in  addition  to  good  works ;  he  made 
the  blind  receive  their  sight,  the  lame  walk ;  he  cleansed  the 
lepers,  he  raised  up  the  dead ;  he  healed  paralytics  that  were 
not  at  all  able  to  make  any  movement  of  their  body,  or  to 
keep  the  nerves  steady,  but  who  had  only  speech  and  the 
modulation  of  their  voice,  and  the  joining  of  their  bones ; 
and  he  gave  them  the  power  of  walking  and  running,  re- 
moving their  illness  by  a  single  word.  Commanding  the 
winds,  he  walked  dry-shod  upon  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and 
did  many  other  signs  and  miracles.  Another  thing,  again, 
more  powerful  still,  which  is  strange,  even  with  our  gods ; 
he  raised  up  one  Lazarus  that  had  been  dead  four  days,  sum- 
moning him  by  a  single  word,  when  the  dead  man  had  his 
blood  corrupted,  and  when  his  body  was  destroyed  by  the 
worms  produced  in  wounds,  and  when  it  had  the  stink  of  a 
dog.  And  seeing  him  lying  in  the  tomb,  he  ordered  that 
ill-smelling  body  to  run.  Nor  had  he  anything  of  a  dead 
body  about  him  at  all ;  but  as  a  bridegroom  from  the  bridal 
chamber,  so  he  came  forth  from  the  tomb,  filled  with  very 
great  fragrance.^ 

And  strangers  that  were  manifestly  demoniac,  and  that  (46) 
had  their  dwellings  in  deserts,  and  ate  the  flesh  of  their  own  ^^S) 

(57) 
'I   do   not   think   it   necessary      oft-mentioned   miracles   referred 

to   repeat  the   references  to  the      to  in  this  letter. 


468  INQUIRIES  AND  LETTERS 

limbs,  living  like  beasts  and  creeping  things,  even  these 
he  made  to  be  dwellers  in  cities  and  their  own  houses,  and 
by  his  word  restored  them  to  soundness  of  mind,  and  ren- 
dered them  wise  and  able  and  reputable,  eating  with  all  the 
enemies  of  the  unclean  spirits  that  dwelt  in  them  for  their 
destruction ;  and  sending  away  the  demons  in  them  into  a 
herd  of  swine,  he  cast  them  down  into  the  depths  of  the  sea, 
and  suffocated  them.^  And  again,  there  was  another  hav- 
ing a  withered  hand,  and  living  in  sorrow ;  and  not  the  hand 
only,  but  rather  the  half  of  the  body  of  the  man  was  petri- 
fied, so  that  he  had  not  the  form  of  a  man,  or  the  power  of 
moving  his  body.  And  him,  by  a  word  he  healed,  and  made 
sound.  And  there  was  a  woman^  that  had  an  issue  of  blood 
for  many  years,  and  whose  arteries  and  veins  were  drained 
by  the  flowing  of  the  blood,  so  that  she  did  not  present  the 
appearance  of  a  human  being,  but  was  like  a  corpse,  all  the 
joinings  of  her  bones  appearing  and  being  transparent  like 
glass ;  and  she  was  speechless  every  day,  so  that  all  the  phy- 
sicians of  the  district  could  not  cure  her,  and  left  her  without 
hope  of  life.  And  when  Jesus  passed  by,  she  mysteriously 
received  strength  through  his  overshadowing  her ;  and  she 
took  hold  of  his  fringe  behind,  and  immediately  in  the  same 
hour  power  filled  up  what  in  her  was  empty,  so  that,  no 
longer  suffering  any  pain,  she  began  to  run  swiftly  to  her 
own  city  Paneas,^  so  as  to  accomplish  the  journey  in  six 
days. 
(46)  And  these  things  indeed  were  so.  A  man,  by  Hercules, 
^48)  so  pious,  no  age  hath  ever  had  nor  will  have.  But  wonderful 
(56)  were  the  efforts  of  the  people  themselves,  and  the  unanimity 
of  all  the  scribes  and  chief  men  and  elders  to  crucify  this 
ambassador  of  truth,  notwithstanding  that  their  own 
prophets,  and  after  our  manner  the  Sybils,*  warned  them 

^See  Mark  v.13;  Luke  viii.33.  ing   the    Sibyls    is    well    known. 

'Veronica.  The    fourteen    books    of    Sibyl- 

^The    Ms.    here    has    Spania ;  line    Oracles   that   are   now   ex- 

Paneas  is  Thilo's  conjecture,  in  tant  are   formed   of  a   commin- 

accordance  with  the  wide-spread  gling    of    Jewish,    heathen,    but 

legend.  mainly      Christian      prophecies, 

^The    classical    belief    regard-  ranging  in  date  from  more  than 


PILATE'S  LETTER  TO  CAESAR  469 

against  it.  And  these  are  the  things  which  I  lately  had  in 
my  mind  to  report;  and  the  Jews  gave  information  that 
Jesus  accomplished  them  on  the  Sabbath.  And  other  signs 
greater  than  these  he  did,  so  that  I  perceived  that  the 
wonderful  works  done  by  him  are  greater  than  can  be  done 
by  the  gods  whom  we  worship. 

And  when  all  the  people  of  the  Jews  said  that  he  was  (46) 
the  Son  of  God,  the  chief  priests  felt  envy  against  him.  And  )4o) 
him,  Herod  and  Archelaus  and  Philip,  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  (56) 
with  all  the  people  delivered  to  me,  making  a  great  uproar  ^^^^ 
against  me  that  I  should  try  him.    Urged  more  by  fidelity  to 
thy  dignity  than   induced  by  my   own   wishes,   I   did  not 
according  to  my  strength  resist  that   innocent  blood   free 
from  the  whole  charges  brought  against  it,  but  which  un- 
justly, through  the  malignity  of  men,  should  be  sold  and 
suffer,  yet,  as  the  scriptures  signify,  to  the  Jews'  own  de- 
struction. But  as  many  were  exciting  an  insurrection  against 
me,  which  was  just  on  the  point  of  breaking  out,   I  de- 
livered him  to  be  scourged  according  to  their  will,  having 
found  against  him  no  cause  of  evil  accusations  or  deeds. 
And  they  crucified  him,  and  set  guards  over  him  when 
buried;  but  had   I   not  been   afraid   of  this   insurrection, 
perhaps  this  man  would  still  have  been  alive  to  us. 

And  at  the  time  he  was  crucified  there  was  darkness  over  (48) 
all  the  world,  as  I  suppose  your  reverence  is  not  ignorant  of,  1^9) 
the  sun  being  darkened  at  mid-day  and  the  stars  appearing, 
but  in  them  there  appeared  no  lustre ;  and  the  moon,  which 

a  century  b.  c.  to  over  400  years  three,    four,    ten,    or   twelve    as 

later.     The  authors  attempted  to  the  number  of  the  Sibyls.     The 

palm   these    off    as    the   genuine  last-named     is     the     mediaeval 

productions  of  the  ancient   Sib-  number,    and    they    vi^ere    desig- 

yls,  supporting  their  own  views  nated    as,    the    Libyan,    Samian, 

of  religion.     Many  of  the  Chris-  Cuman,     Cumaean,     Erythraean, 

tian    fathers    laid    great    stress  Persian,       Tiburtine,       Delphic, 

upon  the  testimony  to  Christ  af-  Phrygian,     European,     Agrippi- 

forded  by  these  supposed  ancient  nan,    and     Hellespontic     Sibyls, 

oracles.     Celsus  sneers  at  Chris-  See    Deane,    p.    276    seq.    for    a 

tians    as    "sibyl-believers."    Dif-  full   discussion   of  the   Sibylline 

ferent      authorities      give      two,  Oracles. 
34 


470  INQUIRIES  AND  LETTERS 

happened  to  be  at  the  full,  as  if  turned  into  blood,  failed  in 
her  light.  In  all  the  world,  they  lighted  lamps  from  the 
sixth  to  the  ninth  hour,  and  the  world  was  swallowed  up 
by  the  lower  regions,  so  that  the  very  statuary  of  the  temple, 
as  they  call  it,  could  not  be  seen  by  the  Jews  in  their  fall; 
and  they  saw  below  them  a  chasm  of  the  earth,  with  the  roar 
of  the  thunder  that  fell  upon  it.  And  the  stars  also  and 
Orion  made  a  lament  about  the  Jews,  on  account  of  the 
wickedness  that  had  been  done  by  them  ;^  and  the  whole 
world  was  shaken  by  unspeakable  miracles.^  And  in  that  ter- 
ror dead  men  were  seen  that  had  risen,^  as  the  Jews  them- 
themselves  testified ;  and  they  said  that  it  was  Abraham,  and 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  the  twelve  patriarchs,  and  Moses,  and 
Job,  that  had  died  three  thousand,  five  hundred  years  before ; 
and  they  said  that  they  had  seen  Noah  manifestly  in  the 
body.  And  there  were  very  many  whom  I  also  saw  appear- 
ing in  the  body.  And  all  the  multitude  walked  about  and 
sang  praises  to  God  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "The  Lord 
our  God  hath  risen  from  the  dead,  hath  brought  to  life  all 
the  dead,  and  hath  plundered  Hades  and  put  him  to  death." 
And  they  were  making  a  lamentation  about  the  Jews,  on 
account  of  the  wickedness  that  had  come  to  pass  through 
them,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Jews,  and  of  their  law. 
And  there  began  to  be  earthquakes  in  the  hour  in  which 
the  nails  were  fixed  in  Jesus'  hands  and  feet,  until  evening.* 
(46)      And  the  fear  of  the  earthquake  remained  from  the  sixth 

(48)  hour  of  the  preparation  until  the  ninth  hour.     And  on  the 

(49  > 

(57)  evening  of  the  first  day  of  the  week,^  there  was  a  sound  out 

of  the  heaven,  so  that  the  heaven  became  enlightened  seven- 
fold more  than  all  the  days.    And  at  the  third  hour  of  the 

^Cf.  Joel  ii.io;  Hi. 15,  etc.    For  dicates  the  influence  of  the  Gos- 

further  notes  upon  these  signs,  I  pel  of  Peter,  see  chap.  XXVI. 

refer  back  to  chap.  XXVI.  ^The  intention  must  be  to  in- 

''Passage   found  only  in  some  dicate     the     evening     preceding 

Mss.   of    (49).  Easter  morning,  and   I   suppose 

'Some  Mss.  of   (49)   add,  "to  that  the  third  hour  of  the  night 

the  number  of  five  hundred."  must  be  intended  to  mean  three 

^Sentence  found  only  in  some  o'clock  on  Easter  morning. 
Mss.  of   (49).    I  think  this  in- 


PILATE'S  LETTER  TO  CAESAR  471 

night,  also,  the  sun  was  seen  brighter  than  it  had  ever  shone 
before,  hghting  up  all  the  heaven.  And  as  lightnings  come 
suddenly  in  winter,  so  majestic  men  appeared  in  glorious 
robes  of  indescribable  splendour,  and  an  innumerable  multi- 
tude of  angels  whose  voice  was  heard  as  that  of  a  very  great 
thunder,  crying  out,  "Glory  in  the  highest  to  God,  and  on 
earth  peace ;  among  men,  good  will  !^  Jesus  that  was  crucified 
is  risen ;  come  up  out  of  Hades,  ye  that  have  been  enslaved 
in  the  underground  regions  of  Hades !"  And  at  their  voice, 
all  the  mountains  and  hills  were  shaken,  and  the  rocks  were 
burst  asunder,  and  the  chasm  of  the  earth  was  as  if  it  had 
no  bottom,  so  that  what  was  in  the  abyss  appeared;  but  it 
was  as  if  the  very  foundations  of  the  earth  appeared  along 
with  those  that  cried  out  in  the  heavens,  and  walked  about 
in  the  body  in  the  midst  of  the  dead  that  had  arisen.  And 
he  that  raised  up  all  the  dead  and  bound  Hades,  said,  "Say 
to  my  disciples,  'He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee ;  there 
shall  ye  see  him.'  "^  For  he  rose  again  on  the  third  day, 
while  my  soldiers  were  keeping  guard.  But  so  flagrant  was 
the  iniquity  of  the  Jews,  that  they  gave  money  to  my 
soldiers,  saying,  "Say  that  his  disciples  have  stolen  his 
body."^  But  after  receiving  the  money,  they  could  not  keep 
secret  what  had  been  done ;  for  they  bare  witness,  both  that 
he  had  risen  again,  and  that  they  had  seen  him,  and  that  they 
had  received  money  from  the  Jews.  And  all  that  night  the 
light  did  not  cease  shining.  And  many  of  the  Jews  died, 
swallowed  up  in  the  chasm  of  the  earth,  so  that  on  'the 
following  day  most  of  those  who  had  been  against  Jesus 
could  not  be  found.  Others  saw  the  appearing  of  those 
that  had  arisen,  whom  no  one  of  us  had  ever  seen.  And 
only  one  synagogue*  of  the  Jews  was  left  in  this  Jerusalem, 
since  all  disappeared  in  that  fall. 

With  .that  terror,  being  in  perplexity,  and  seized  with  a  (46) 
most  frightful  trembling,  I  have  written  what  I  saw  at  that  S'^l 

time,  and  have  reported  to  thy  majestv,  lest  any  one  should  (56) 

(57) 
'Luke  ii.14.  'Another  reading  is,  "not  one 

''Mark  xvi.7.  synagogue." 

^Cf.  Mat.  xxviii.13. 


472  INQUIRIES  AND  LETTERS 

give  a  different  and  false  account  of  it,  and  thou  shouldest 
think  that  the  lies  of  the  Jews  are  to  be  believed.  His  dis- 
ciples are  flourishing  in  their  work  and  the  regulation  of 
their  lives,  not  belying  their  master,  yea,  in  his  name  most 
beneficent.^  Having  set  in  order,  also,  what  was  done  by 
the  Jews  against  Jesus,  I  have  sent  it,  my  lord,  to  thy  divin- 
ity. Farewell.  28th  March.^ 
(59)  And  Theodorus^  wrote  to  Pilate  the  governor,  "Who  was 
the  man,  against  whom  there  was  a  complaint  before  thee, 
that  he  was  crucified  by  the  men  of  Palestine?  If  the  many 
demanded  this  righteously,  why  didst  thou  not  consent  to 
their  righteousness?  And  if  they  demanded  this  unright- 
eously, how  didst  thou  transgress  the  law,*  and  command 
what  was  far  from  righteousness?"  Pilate  sent  to  him, 
"Because  he  wrought  signs,  I  did  not  wish  to  crucify  him ; 
and  since  his  accusers  said,  'He  called  himself  a  king,'  I 
crucified  him." 
(25)  Now  Abgar  the  king  of  Edessa,^  with  his  people,  had  by 
(58)  this  time  received  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  by  the  mouth 
of  Thaddaeus  the  apostle.  Abgar  the  king,  moreover,  be- 
cause he  was  not  able  to  pass  over  the  territory  of  the 
Romans,  and  go  to  Palestine  to  slay  the  Jews  for  having 
crucified  Christ,  wrote  a  letter,  and  sent  it  to  Tiberius 
Caesar,  writing  in  it  thus : 

^Cf.  the  famous  passage  in  Jo-  a    fragment    appended    to    (59), 

seplius,  Antiquities,  XVIII,  iii.3.  and    is    apparently    but    another 

°0r,  as  Covvper  gives  it,  "the  form  of  the  numerous  letters  of 

fifth   of  the  Kalends  of  April."  Pilate  to  the  Emperor. 

The  intention  of  the  writer,  no  *Baronius  says  that  Pilate  vio- 

doubt,  is  to  represent  the  Cruci-  lated     the     law     by     crucifying 

fixion  as  having  taken  place  on  Christ  under  any  circumstances, 

the    late    traditional    date,    Mar.  so  soon  after  sentence  had  been 

25,    and    Pilate    writes    on    the  passed ;  forasmuch  as,  a  delay  of 

28th,  the  day  after  the  Resurrec-  ten   days  was   required   in   such 

tion.     This    date    for   the   letter  cases,   by   a    law   passed    in   the 

does   not   agree   with   the   place  reign  of  Tiberius. 

I  have  given  it  in  my  compila-  "^According  to  Moses  of  Cho- 

tion.  rene,     "King     of     Armenia."     I 

^This,  if  it  is  intended  to  refer  have  not   distinguished  between 

to     any    real     personage,    must  the  titles, 
mean  Tiberius.    The  passage  is 


ABGAR'S  LETTER  TO  CAESAR  473 

Abgar,  King  of  the  city  of  Edessa,  to  my  Lord  Tiberius  (25) 
Caesar,  Emperor  of  the  Romans,  greeting: — Although  I  }^l 
know  that  nothing  is  hidden  from  thy  majesty,  but  as  thy 
friend,  I  write  to  inform  thy  dread  and  mighty  sovereignty 
that  the  Jews  who  are  under  thy  dominion  and  dwell  in  the 
country  of  Palestine,  have  assembled  themselves  together 
and  crucified  Christ  Jesus,  without  any  fault  worthy  of 
death,  after  he  had  done  before  them  signs  and  wonders, 
and  had  shown  them  powerful  mighty  works,  so  that  he 
even  raised  the  dead.  Be  assured  that  these  are  not  the 
effects  of  the  power  of  a  simple  mortal,  but  of  God.  And 
at  the  time  that  they  crucified  him,  the  sun  became  dark- 
ened, and  the  earth  also  quaked,  and  all  created  things 
trembled  and  quaked ;  and,  as  if  of  themselves,  at  this  dread 
the  whole  creation  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  creation  shrank 
away.  Jesus  himself,  three  days  afterwards,  rose  from  the 
dead  and  appeared  to  many.  Now,  everywhere,  his  name 
alone,  invoked  by  his  disciples,  produceth  the  greatest  mira- 
cles. What  hath  happened  to  myself  is  the  most  evident 
proof  of  this.  And  now  thy  majesty  knoweth  what  is  meet 
for  thee  to  command  concerning  the  people  of  the  Jews  who 
have  committed  this  crime.  In  order  that  thy  majesty  may 
not  be  offended  with  me,  I  have  not  passed  over  the  river 
Euphrates ;  for  I  have  been  wishing  to  go  up  against  Jerusa- 
lem and  lay  her  waste,  forasmuch  as  she  hath  slain  Christ.^ 
But  do  thou  as  a  great  sovereign,  who  hath  authority  over 
all  the  earth  and  over  us,  send  and  do  me  judgment  on 
the  people  of  Jerusalem.  Thy  majesty  knoweth  whether 
a  command  should  not  be  published  throughout  the  universe 
to  worship  Christ  as  the  true  God.     Safety  and  health ! 

^This  late  legend  attributes  to  reminds  one  of  that  told  of  more 

the  petty  king  Abgar  a  most  val-  than  one  of  the  barbarian  kings 

orous    design    in    purposing    to  of   Europe,    e.g.    Clovis;    at  his 

destroy  Jerusalem,  a  plan  which  baptism,  he  expressed  a  wish  to 

cost  the  Romans  themselves  so  revenge  the  Saviour, 
much  to  carry  out.     The  story 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE  EMBASSY  OF  VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE. 

The  Illness  of  Tiberius — Sends  Volusianus  to  seek 
HIS  Cure  of  Christ — Who  learns  of  Christ's  Death 
FROM  Pilate — Interviews  Joseph  and  Nicodemus — 
Finds  Veronica  and  the  Sacred  Portrait — Mary 
Magdalene  complains  to  Caesar  at  Rome — Meets 
Galen — Letters  arrive  at  Rome — Caesar's  Letter  to 
Pilate — To  Abgar — Its  Answer — Caesar  cured  by 
THE  Portrait  of  Christ — Becomes  a  Christian. 

Main  Sources:   (25) — History  of  Armenia,  by  Moses  of  Chorene, 
VIII. 
(58) — Teaching  of  Addaeus  the  Apostle. 
(60) — Epistle  of  Tiberius  to  Pilate. 
(62) — Giving  Up  of  Pontius  Pilate. 
(63) — Death  of  Pilate,  who  condemned  Jesus. 
(64) — Avenging  of  the  Saviour. 

(^3)  Now  Tiberius  Caesar,  the  Emperor  of  the  Romans,  was 
ill  and  full  of  ulcers  and  fevers ;  and  he  had  nine  kinds  of 
leprosy,  labouring  under  a  grievous  disease.^  And  having 
understood  that  there  was  at  Jerusalem  a  certain  physician, 
Jesus  by  name,  who  by  a  single  word  cured  all  infirmities, 
he,  not  yet  knowing  that  the  Jews  and  Pilate  had  put  him 
to  death,  ordered  a  certain  friend  of  his,  Volusianus,^  "Take 

T  know  of  no  historical  evi-  romance,  adds  the  above  absurd 

dence  of  this  kind,  although  the  particulars. 

legend  is  found  in  many  forms.  ^This    is    the    name    used    in 

(63)  tells  of  the  disease  in  gen-  (63),  in  the  Golden  Legend,  and 

eral,  but   (64),  which  is  a  very  generally;    (64)    uses    the    form 

late  and   ridiculously   elaborated  Velosianus,    in    most     Mss.     L. 

(474) 


THE  EMBASSY  OF  VOLUSIANUS  475 

all  that  is  necessary  for  thee,  and  go  as  quickly  as  possible 
across  the  seas  to  Judaea;  and  there  shalt  thou  tell  Pilate 
my  servant  and  friend,  to  send  me  this  physician,  that  he 
may  restore  me  to  my  former  health ;  for  I  am  daily  exceed- 
ingly burdened,  and  of  my  wounds  I  am  ill  at  ease.  And  if 
thou  shalt  find  there  a  man  such  as  may  be  able  to  free  me 
from  this  infirmity  of  mine,  I  will  believe  in  Christ  the  Son 
of  God,  and  will  baptize  myself  in  his  name."  And  Volu- 
sianus  said,  "My  Lord  Emperor,  if  I  find  such  a  man  as  may 
be  able  to  help  and  free  us,  what  reward  shall  I  promise 
him?"  Tiberius  said  to  him,  "The  half  of  my  kingdom,^ 
without  fail,  to  be  in  his  hand." 

Then  Volusianus,  having  heard  the  Emperor's  command,  (63) 
immediately  went  forth,  and  went  on  board  the  ship,  and 
hoisted  the  sail  in  the  vessel,  and  went  on  sailing  through 
the  sea.  And  he  sailed  a  year  and  seven  days,^  after  which 
he  arrived  at  Jerusalem.  And  Volusianus  came  to  Pilate. 
And  he  related  to  the  same  Pilate  what  had  been  entrusted 
to  him  by  Tiberius  Caesar,  saying,  "Tiberius  Caesar,  the 
Emperor  of  the  Romans,  thy  master,  having  heard  that  in 
this  city  there  is  a  physician  who  by  his  word  alone  healeth 
infirmities,  earnestly  prayeth  thee  to  send  him  to  him  for  the 
cure  of  his  infirmity."  Pilate,  hearing  this,  was  very  much 
afraid,  knowing  that  through  envy  he  had  caused  him  to  be 
put  to  death.  He  answered  the  same  messenger  thus,  say- 
ing, "This  man  was  a  malefactor,  and  a  man  who  drew  to 
himself  all  the  people ;  so  a  council  of  the  wise  men  of  the 

Volusius  Saturninus  was  Roman  put  to,  as  the  succeeding  pages 

governor  of  Syria,  near  this  pe-  will  show,  to  make  anything  of 

nod,    from   whom,   perhaps,   the  a    continuous    and    not    too    ab- 

name    Volusianus    was    derived.  surdly     contradictory     narrative 

According   to    (63),   Volusianus  out   of   the   mass   of   discordant 

merely  went  on  a  pacific  mission  material  which  follows, 

to  Jerusalem  and  brought  back  'Cf.    Mark  vi.23;   Esther,  v.3 ; 

Veronica;  according  to  (64),  he  vii.2. 

there  found  Pilate  under  arrest,  'Utter  ignorance  or  disregard 

and  co-operated  with  Titus  and  of  all  geography,  as  well  as  his- 

Vespasian,  who  had  already  cap-  tory,  is  everywhere  apparent  in 

tured  the  city  and  were  taking  (64),  whence  this  is  taken, 
vengeance.    I   have  been   sorely 


476       VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE 

city  was  held,  and  I  caused  him  to  be  crucified."  Then 
Volusianus  said  to  Pilate,  "Thou  Pilate,  impious  and  cruel, 
why  hast  thou  slain  the  Son  of  God?"  And  Pilate  an- 
swered, "His  own  nation,  and  the  chief  priests  Annas  and 
Caiaphas,  gave  him  to  me."  Volusianus  said,  "Impious 
and  cruel,  thou  art  worthy  of  death  and  cruel  punishment."^ 
(64)  And  Volusianus  immediately  ordered  some  of  the  Jews 
to  come  to  his  power,^  and  began  carefully  to  ask  what  had 
been  the  acts  of  Christ.  Then  Joseph,  of  the  city  of  Ari- 
mathaea,^  and  Nicodemus  came  at  the  same  time.  And 
Nicodemus  said,  *T  saw  him,  and  I  know  indeed  that  he  is 
the  Saviour  of  the  world."  And  Joseph  said  to  him,  "And 
I  took  him  down  from  the  cross,  and  laid  him  in  a  new 
tomb  which  had  been  cut  out  of  the  rock.  And  the  Jews 
kept  me  shut  up  on  the  day  of  the  preparation,  at  evening; 
and  while  I  was  standing  at  prayer  on  the  Sabbath  day,  the 
house  was  hung  up  by  the  four  corners,  and  I  saw  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  like  a  gleam  of  light,  and  for  fear,  I  fell  to  the 
ground.  And  he  said  to  me,  'Look  upon  me,  for  I  am 
Jesus,  whose  body  thou  didst  lay  in  thy  tomb.'     And  I  said 

^According  to  (64),  Volusian-  cording  to  some,  it  was  the  Holy 
us  here  sent  Pilate  back  to  Grail  that  thus  sustained  him; 
prison,  he  having  already  been  and  he  now  sleeps  until  the  sec- 
arrested  by  Titus  and  Vespa-  ond  coming,  in  the  mystical  city 
sian,  who  had  taken  the  city.  I  of  Sarras,  sustained  by  its  life- 
bring  this  narrative  in  later.  giving  virtue.    The  principal  leg- 

*"To    his    potency,"    i.    e.     to  end   is,  that  he   embarked  from 

himself  as  the  one  who  had  the  the  holy  land  in  the  same  ship 

power.  without  sails  or  rudder  that  car- 

'As  this   is  the  last   reference  ried  Mary  Magdalene,  and  other 

to  Joseph  in  this  collection,  per-  saints;    they    were    miraculously 

haps  it  is  worth  while  mention-  wafted     to     Marseilles.     Joseph 

ing  some  of  the  numerous  leg-  went    to    England;    planted    his 

ends  as  to  his  later  history.     The  staff    at    Glastonbury,    where    it 

Golden  Legend  tells  that  when  produced  the  famous  thorn  that 

Titus  took  Jerusalem,  he  found  flowered  at  Yuletide ;  he  brought 

Joseph  where  he  had  been  mured  the  Holy  Grail,  built  a  church, 

up  in  a   wall  by  the  Jews;   he  wrote     letters     to     the     British 

was  kept  to  that  time  with  heav-  church,  etc.     He  is  said  to  have 

enly  meat  and  drink,  and  com-  been    buried    in    the    abbey    of 

forted    with    light    divine.     Ac-  Moyen-Moutier. 


VERONICA  AND  THE  PORTRAIT  477 

to  him,  'Show  me  the  sepulchre  where  I  laid  thee.'  And 
Jesus,  holding  my  hand  in  his  right  hand,  led  me  to  the  place 
where  I  buried  him."^ 

And  Volusianus,  returning  to  his  inn,  met  the  woman  (63) 
named  Veronica,-  who  had  been  a  friend  of  Jesus ;  and  he  ^^4) 
said,  "O  woman,  a  certain  physician  who  was  in  this  city, 
who  cured  the  sick  by  a  word  alone,  why  have  the  Jews  put 
him  to  death?"  And  she  began  to  weep,  saying,  "Ah  me! 
my  lord,  my  God  and  my  Lord,  whom  Pilate  for  envy  de- 
livered, condemned,  and  ordered  to  be  crucified."  Then  he, 
being  exceedingly  grieved,  said,  *T  am  vehemently  grieved, 
that  I  am  unable  to  accomplish  that  for  which  my  lord  hath 
sent  me."  And  Veronica  said  to  him,  "When  my  Lord 
was  going  about  preaching,  and  I,  much  against  my  will, 
was  deprived  of  his  presence,  I  wished  his  picture  to  be 
painted  for  me,  in  order  that,  while  I  was  deprived  of  his 
presence,  the  figure  of  his  presence  might  at  least  afford  me 
consolation.  And  when  I  was  carrying  the  canvas  to  the 
painter  to  be  painted,  my  Lord  met  me,  and  asked  me 
whither  I  was  going.  And  when  I  had  disclosed  to  him 
the  cause  of  my  journey,  he  asked  of  me  the  cloth,  and  gave 
it  back  to  me  impressed  with  the  image  of  his  venerable 
face.^  Therefore,  if  my  lord  will  devoutly  gaze  upon  his 
face,  he  shall  obtain  forthwith  the  benefit  of  health."  And 
he  said  to  her,  "Is  a  picture  of  this  sort  procurable  by  gold 
or  silver?"     She  said  to  him,  "No,  but  by  the  pious  influence 

^In  the  Saxon  version  of  (64),  Jesus  who  was  crucified.'   Again 

Joseph's    speech    runs,   "I    know  they  said  to  me,  'Go  into  Gali- 

that  they  took  him   down  from  lee ;  there  shall  you  see  him,  as 

the   cross,   and   laid   him   in  the  he  said  to  you  before.'  " 

tomb  which  I  had  cut  out  of  the  ^I  have  mainly  followed,  in  the 

rock.     And  I  was  one  of  those  succeeding     narrative,     the     ac- 

who   guarded   his   tomb;   and   I  account    of    (63);     (64)    repre- 

bent    my    head    and    thought    I  sents      Volusianus      as      having 

should    see    him,    but    I    beheld  heard  of  Veronica's  portrait ;  he 

nothing    of    him,    but    saw    two  has   her    summoned,   by   torture 

angels,  one  at  the  head  and  the  compels  her  to  discover  it,  and 

other  at  the  foot,  and  they  asked  takes  it. 

me  whom  I  was  seeking.     I  an-  ^Cf.   this   with   the   legend   in 

swered  and  said  to  them,  *I  seek  chap.  XXV,  at  end. 


478       VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE 

of  devotion.  I  shall  therefore  set  out  with  thee,  and  shall 
carry  the  picture  to  be  seen  by  Caesar,  and  shall  come  back 
again,  I  have  it  in  clean  linen,  my  lord,  and  daily  adore  it." 
Volusianus  said,  "Show  it  to  me."  Then  she  showed  the 
portrait  of  the  Lord.  When  Volusianus  saw  it,  he  pros- 
trated himself  on  the  ground ;  and  with  a  ready  heart  and 
true  faith  he  took  hold  of  it,  and  wrapped  it  in  cloth  of  gold, 
and  placed  it  in  a  casket,  and  sealed  it  with  his  ring.  And 
he  swore  with  an  oath,  and  said,  "As  the  Lord  God  liveth, 
and  by  the  health  of  Caesar,  no  man  shall  any  more  see  it, 
until  I  see  the  face  of  my  lord  Tiberius."^ 
(63)  And  Volusianus  took  the  portrait  of  the  Lord,  with  all  his 
(^4)  disciples,  and  all  in  his  pay,  and  they  went  on  board  the  ship 
the  same  day.  Then  the  woman  Veronica,  for  the  love  of 
Christ,  left  all  that  she  possessed,  and  followed  Volusianus. 
And  he  said  to  her,  "What  dost  thou  wish,  woman,  or  what 
dost  thou  seek?"  And  she  answered,  "I  am  seeking  the 
portrait  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  enlightened  me,  not 
for  mine  own  merits,  but  through  his  own  holy  affections. 
Give  back  to  me  the  portrait  of  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for 
because  of  this  I  die  with  a  righteous  longing.  But  if  thou 
do  not  give  it  back  to  me,  I  will  not  leave  it,  until  I  see 
where  thou  wilt  put  it,  because  I,  most  miserable  woman 
that  I  am,  will  serve  him  all  the  days  of  my  life ;  because  I 
believe  that  he,  my  Redeemer,  liveth  for  everlasting." 
Then  Volusianus  ordered  the  woman  Veronica  to  be  taken 
down  with  him  into  the  ship.  And  the  sails  being  hoisted, 
they  began  to  go  in  the  vessel  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
they  sailed  through  the  sea. 
(62)  Now  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  Mary  Magdalene 
hastened  to  Rome,  crying  out  vehemently  against  the  things 
which  had  been   done  to   Christ  unlawfully.-     And  there 

'I    omit    the    statement    made  take  from  Glycas,  as  reported  in 

here  by    (64).  that  the  chief  of  Apocrypha  Anecdota,  II,  p.  xlix. 

the    Jews    now    arrested    Pilate,  This  visit,  which  is  anticipated 

and  took  him  to  a  seaport.  in  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  is 

^This    statement,    and    one   or  also    referred    to    by    Cedrenus, 

two    particulars    that    follow,    I  Nicephorus,   Joannes   Cinnamus, 


CAESAR'S  LETTER  TO  PILATE  479 

Galen/  the  physician,  met  her,  and  was  told  by  her  about  the 
healing  of  the  man  born  blind.  And  he  said  to  her  that 
Christ  must  have  been  well  acquainted  with  the  metals  of  the 
earth,  in  order  to  give  eyes  to  the  blind  man.  And  the  anger 
of  Tiberius  was  greatly  stirred  up  by  Mary,  that  he  should 
take  vengeance  upon  the  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  Pilate 
himself.  And  the  writings  of  Pilate  and  Abgar  having 
come  to  the  city  of  Rome,  and  having  been  read  to  Caesar, 
with  not  a  few  standing  by,  all  were  astounded,  because 
through  the  wickedness  of  Pilate  the  darkness  and  the 
earthquake  had  come  upon  the  whole  world.^  And  the 
Caesar,  filled  with  rage,  sent  soldiers,  and  ordered  them  to 
bring  Pilate  a  prisoner,  and  sent  a  letter,  as  followeth : 

The  things  written  by  Caesar  Augustus,  and  sent  to  Pon-  (60) 
tins  Pilate,  holding  the  eastern  magistracy.     He  both  wrote 
the  declaration,  and  sent  it  along  with  the  runner  Rahab,-^ 
also  giving  him  soldiers  to  the  number  of  two  thousand. 

Seeing  that  thou  didst  vote  against  the  violent  and  in  just-  (60) 
ice-filled  death  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  yet  before  condemna- 
tion didst  deliver  him  up  to  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
insatiable  and  frenzied  Jews,  and  didst  not  have  compassion 
on  this  just  man,  but  having  dipped  a  pen  and  delivered  a 
very  unhappy  decision,  and  having  scourged  him,  didst  give 
him  up  to  be  crucified  without  cause,  and  didst  receive  gifts 
on  account  of  his  death,^  and  didst  sympathize  with  him  in 
word,  but  in  heart  betrayed  him  to  the  lawless  Jews;  thou 
shalt  be  brought  bound  to  me,  in  order  that  thou  mayest 

and  Const.  Manasses.     See  ibid.  legend  is  also  told  by  Glycas. 

1.     Later  legends  of  Mary  Mag-  'Ci.  chap.  XXVI  for  the  fact 

dalene   are   especially   associated  that  the  earthquake  was  felt  at 

with  the  south  of  France,  where  Rome. 

an  endless  number  of  tales  ap-  ^The  name  has  already  ap- 
pear regarding  her.  She  is  said  peared  in  chap.  XXIII,  as  that 
to  have  died  at  Aix,  and  is  com-  of  Pilate's  runner, 
memorated  on  July  22.  Relics  "Here  appears  a  new  charge 
of  her  are  still  shown.  against  Pilate.  This  document 
^The  legend-monger  is  not  is  marked  by  extreme  bitterness 
troubled  by  the  fact  that  Galen  against  him  and  the  Jews, 
lived  in  the  second  century.  This 


48o       VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE 

plead  thy  cause,  and  give  to  me  an  account  concerning  the 
Hfe  which  thou  without  cause  didst  give  over  unto  death. 
But,  O,  thy  shamelessness  and  callousness !  I  who  have 
heard  of  him  by  report,  am  greatly  agitated  in  mind  and 
harassed  in  my  feelings.  For  a  certain  woman  said  to  be 
his  disciple,  who  is  Mary  Magdalene,  from  whom  they  tes- 
tify that  he  cast  out  seven  demons,  came  to  me  bearing  wit- 
ness that  he  performed  the  most  wonderful  healings.  He 
made  the  blind  to  see,  the  lame  to  walk,  and  the  deaf  to  hear, 
and  cleansed  lepers ;  and  simply  spake,  as  she  herself  tes- 
tifieth  that  he  performed  the  healings  by  word  only.  How 
couldst  thou  yield  that  this  one  should  be  crucified  without 
cause?  And  if  ye  did  not  receive  him  as  a  god,  ye  might 
have  sympathized  with  him  as  a  physician.  But  even  ac- 
cording to  thy  deceitful  account  which  came  to  me,  thou 
didst  vote  against  the  punishment,  having  written  that  he 
was  greater  than  the  gods  whom  we  worship.  How 
couldst  thou  condemn  him  to  death?  But  just  as  thou  didst 
condemn  him  unjustly,  and  give  him  over  to  death,  so  will 
I  give  thee  over  to  death  justly ;  and  not  alone  thee,  but  also 
all  thy  fellow  counsellors  and  associates,  from  whom  thou 
also  didst  receive  the  gifts  on  account  of  his  death. 

(60)  And  having  given  the  writings  to  the  letter  carriers,  by 
written  order  the  sentence  of  Augustus  was  given  to  these, 
that  they  should  put  to  death  with  the  sword  all  the  race  of 
the  Jews ;  and  that  Pilate,  bound  and  condemned,  be  brought 
to  Rome,  and  the  chief  men  of  the  Jews,  those  then  rulers, 
Archelaus  son  of  the  most  detestable  Herod,  and  Philip  his 
companion,  and  their  high  priests,  both  Caiaphas  and  his 
father-in-law  Annas,  and  all  the  chiefs  of  the  Jews. 

(25)      And  Tiberius  Caesar  wrote  and  sent  to  King  Abgar;  and 

^^  ^  thus  did  he  write  to  him : 

The  letter  of  thy  fidelity  towards  me,  I  have  received,  and 
it  hath  been  read  before  me.  I  wish  that  thanks  should 
be  given  to  thee  from  me.  Concerning  what  the  Jews  have 
dared  to  do  in  the  matter  of  the  cross,  Pilate  the  governor 
also  hath  written  and  informed  Aulbinus^  my  pro-consul, 

^This  is  probably  intended  for      Albinns,    who    was    later   made 


CAESAR'S  LETTER  TO  ABGAR 


48  T 


concerning  these  selfsame  things  of  which  thou  hast  written 
me  Though  we  have  already  heard  several  persons  relate 
these  facts,  Pilate  hath  officially  informed  us  of  the  miracles 
of  Jesus.  He  hath  certified  to  us  that  after  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  he  was  acknowledged  by  many  to  be  God. 
Therefore,  I  myself  also  wished  to  do  what  thou  proposest ; 
but,  as  it  is  the  custom  of  the  Romans  not  to  admit  a  god 
merely  by  the  command  of  the  sovereign,  but  only  when  the 
admission  hath  been  discussed  and  examined  in  full  senate,^ 
I  proposed  the  affair  to  the  senate,  and  they  rejected  it  with 
contempt,"  doubtless  because  it  had  not  been  considered 
by  them  first.  But  we  have  commanded  all  those  whom 
Jesus  suiteth,  to  receive  him  among  the  gods.  We  have 
threatened  with  death  any  one  who  shall  speak  evil  of  the 
Christians.^  As  to  the  Jewish  nation  which  hath  dared  to 
crucify  Jesus,  when  I  am  free  from  the  war  with  rebellious 
Spain,*  I  will  examine  into  the  matter,  and  will  treat  the 


procurator  of  Judaea  by  Nero, 
A.  D.  62.  If  there  is  a  refraction 
of  some  little  historic  truth  in 
the  above,  the  person  meant  is 
L.  Vitellius,  the  then  governor 
of  Syria,  who  removed  Pilate 
from  office  in  2>^  A.  d.,  on  ac- 
count of  his  cruelty  to  the  Sa- 
maritans, Marcellus  being  ap- 
pointed in  his  stead.  Pilate  was 
ordered  to  appear  before  Tibe- 
rius, but  the  Emperor  was  dead 
before  he  reached  Rome. 

'Tertullian,  Apology,  chap.  V, 
makes  this  statement  in  almost 
the  same  words,  whence,  I  doubt 
not,  this  part  of  the  letter  was 
drawn. 

^See  Tertullian,  ibid.,  also  Eu- 
sebius,  Church  Hist.,  II,  ii,  2, 
who  repeats  his  statements  and 
enlarges  upon  them.  I  quote 
this  passage  from  Tertullian : 
"Tiberius,  accordingly,  in  whose 
days  the   Christian  name  made 


its  entry  into  the  world,  having 
himself  received  intelligence 
from  Palestine  of  events  which 
had  clearly  shown  the  truth  of 
Christ's  divinity,  brought  the 
matter  before  the  senate,  with 
his  own  decision  in  favour  of 
Christ.  The  senate,  because  it 
had  not  given  the  approval  it- 
self, rejected  his  proposal. 
Caesar  held  to  his  opinion, 
threatening  wrath  against  all  ac- 
cusers of  the  Christians."  Few 
of  the  learned  have  attached  any 
importance  to  this  statement  of 
Tertullian's ;  he  was  most  prob- 
ably deceived  by  forged  docu- 
ments of  late  date. 

^Sufficient  refutation  of  this, 
which  is  founded  on  Tertullian's 
statement,  is  furnished  by  Tra- 
jan's rescript,  and  the  conduct 
of  succeeding  emperors. 

^History  makes  no  mention  of 
a  war  in  Spain  near  this  period, 


482       VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE 

Jews  as  they  deserve.  And  on  this  account,  as  regardeth 
Pilate  also,  who  was  appointed  by  me  governor  there — I 
have  sent  another  in  his  stead,  and  dismissed  him  in  dis- 
grace, because  he  departed  from  the  law,^  and  did  the  will 
of  the  Jews ;  and  for  the  gratification  of  the  Jews  crucified 
Christ,  who,  according  to  what  I  hear  concerning  him,  in- 
stead of  suffering  the  cross  of  death,  deserved  to  be  hon- 
oured and  worshipped  by  them ;  and  more  especially,  because 
with  their  own  eyes  they  saw  everything  that  he  did.  Yet 
thou,  in  accordance  with  thy  fidelity  towards  me,  and  thy 
faithful  covenant  entered  into  by  thyself  and  by  thy  fathers, 
hast  done  well  in  writing  to  me  thus. 

(58)  And  Abgar  the  king  received  Aristides,-  who  had  been 
sent  by  Tiberius  Caesar  to  him ;  and  in  reply  he  sent  him 
back  with  presents  of  honour  suitable  for  him  who  had  been 
sent  to  him.     And  Abgar  wrote  another  letter  to  Tiberius : 

(25)  Abgar,  King  of  the  Armenians,  to  my  Lord  Tiberius, 
Emperor  of  the  Romans,  greeting: — 

I  have  received  the  letter  written  from  thy  august  ma- 
jesty, and  I  have  applauded  the  commands  which  have 
emanated  from  thy  wisdom.  If  thou  wilt  not  be  angry  with 
me,  I  will  say  that  the  conduct  of  the  senate  is  extremely 
ridiculous  and  absurd.  For,  according  to  the  senators,  it  is 
after  the  examination  and  by  the  suffrages  of  men  that 
divinity  may  be  ascribed.  Thus,  then,  if  God  doth  not  suit 
man,  He  cannot  be  God,  since  God  is  to  be  judged  and  jus- 
tified by  man.^  It  will  no  doubt  seem  just  to  my  lord  and 
master  to  send  another  governor  to  Jerusalem  in  the  place 

but  Vitellius,  the  governor  of  "(58)  here  adds  further,  that 
Syria  at  this  time,  was  involved  Aristides  on  his  return  to  Or- 
iu  the  wars  of  the  Parthians  and  tica  (probably  intended  for 
Hiberians.  These  latter,  as  well  Ortygia  near  Syracuse,  where 
as  the  Spaniards,  were  called  Hi-  Tiberius  then  resided),  told  him 
beri  in  Latin.  So  the  confusion  of  the  mighty  works  which  Ad- 
may  have  arisen  in  translating  daeus  had  done  before  King  Ab- 
this     letter     from     Latin     into  gar. 

Syriac.  ^The    substance    of    this    also 

^See  note,  third   from  end  of  seems  to  be  drawn  from  Tertul- 

last  chapter.  lian's  Apology,  chap.  V. 


ABGAR'S  LETTER  TO  CAESAR  483 

of  Pilate,  who  ought  to  be  ignominiously  driven  from  the 
powerful  post  in  which  thou  didst  place  him;  for  he  hath 
done  the  will  of  the  Jews;  he  hath  crucified  Christ  unjustly, 
without  thy  order.  That  thou  mayest  enjoy  health,  is  my 
desire. 

Abgar,  having  written  the  letter,  placed  a  copy  of  it,  with  (25) 
copies  of  the  other  letters,  in  his  archives. 

And  at  the  end  of  a  year,  Volusianus  came  to  the  city  of  (63) 
Rome,  brought  his  vessel  into  the  river  which  is  called  Ti-  ^  "^^ 
beris,  or  Tiber,  and  entered  the  city  which  is  called  Rome. 
And  he  sent  his  messengers  to  his  lord  Tiberius  the  Em- 
peror about  his  prosperous  arrival.  Then  Tiberius  the 
Emperor,  when  he  heard  the  message  of  Volusianus,  re- 
joiced greatly,  and  ordered  him  to  come  before  his  face. 
And  when  he  had  come,  he  called  him,  saying,  "V^olusianus, 
how  hast  thou  come,  and  what  hast  thou  seen  in  the  region 
of  Judaea,  of  Christ  the  Lord,  and  his  disciples?  Tell  me, 
I  beseech  thee,  that  I  may  be  at  once  cleansed  from  that 
leprosy  which  I  have  over  my  body,  and  I  give  up  my 
whole  kingdom  into  thy  power  and  his."  And  Volusianus 
said,  "My  lord  Emperor,  I  have  found  out  about  Jesus 
whom  thou  hast  been  longing  for,  whom  Pilate  and  the 
Jews  most  wickedly  crucified,  and  about  the  wonders  which 
he  did.^  And  I  found  a  woman  named  Veronica,  who  had 
the  portrait  of  the  Lord,  and  she  hath  come  with  me.  And 
if  thou  wilt  devoutly  look  upon  it,  thou  shalt  immediately 
obtain  the  benefit  of  thy  health."  Then  the  Emperor  Tibe- 
rius said  to  Volusianus,  "How  hast  thou  it?"  And  he  an- 
swered, "I  have  it  in  clean  cloth  of  gold,  rolled  up  in  a 
shawl."  And  the  Emperor  Tiberius  said,  "Bring  it  to  me 
and  spread  it  before  my  face,  that  I,  falling  to  the  ground 
and  bending  my  knees,  may  adore  it  on  the  ground." 

'Volusianus  also  tells  here  in  to  prison  in  Damascus,  etc.  But 
the  narrative  of  (64),  how  he  I  omit  these  details  here,  to  pre- 
found  Titus  and  Vespasian  in  serve  a  semblance  of  consist- 
Jerusalem,  cleansed  from  their  ency  in  the  narrative.  They  will 
infirmities  and  taking  vengeance  appear  later, 
on  the  Jews;  how  he  sent  Pilate 


484       VOLUSIANUS  AND  CAESAR'S  CURE 

(63)  Caesar  therefore  ordered  the  way  to  be  strewn  with  silk 
^  '^^  cloth,  and  the  picture  to  be  presented  to  him.     Then  Volu- 

sianus  spread  out  his  shawl,  with  the  cloth  of  gold  on  which 
the  portrait  of  the  Lord  had  been  imprinted;  and  the  Em- 
peror Tiberius  saw  it.  And  he  immediately  adored  the 
image  of  the  Lord  with  a  pure  heart.  And  as  soon  as  he 
looked  upon  it,  he  regained  his  former  health,  and  his  flesh 
was  cleansed  as  the  flesh  of  a  little  child.^  And  all  the  blind, 
the  lepers,  the  lame,  the  dumb,  the  deaf,  and  those  possessed 
by  various  diseases  who  were  there  present,  were  healed,  and 
cured,  and  cleansed.  And  the  Emperor  Tiberius  bowed  his 
head  and  bent  his  knees,  considering  that  saying,  "Blessed 
is  the  womb  that  bare  thee,  and  the  beasts  which  thou  hast 
sucked.'"-  And  he  groaned  to  the  Lord,  saying  with  tears, 
"God  of  heaven  and  earth,  do  not  permit  me  to  sin ;  but 
confirm  my  soul  and  my  body,  and  place  me  in  Thy  kingdom, 
because  in  Thy  name  do  I  trust  always.  Free  me  from  all 
evils,  as  Thou  deliveredst  the  three  children  from  the  furnace 
of  burning  fire."^ 

(64)  Then  said  the  Emperor  Tiberius  to  Volusianus,  "Volu- 
sianus,  hast  thou  seen  any  of  these  men  who  saw  Christ?'' 
Volusianus  answered,  "I  have."  He  said,  "Didst  thou  ask 
how  they  baptized  those  who  believed  in  Christ?"  Volu- 
sianus said,  "Here,  my  lord,  we  have  one  of  the  disciples  of 
Christ  himself."  Then  he  ordered  Nathan*  to  be  summoned 
to  come  to  him.  Nathan,  therefore,  came  and  baptized  him 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Amen.  Immediately,  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  made 
whole  from  all  his  diseases,  ascended  upon  his  throne,  and 
said,  "Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  and  worthy 
to  be  praised,  who  hast  freed  me  from  all  mine  iniquities  ;^ 

^11  Kings  V.14.  Gospel,   which   was   not  written 
"Luke      xi.27.      Perhaps      the  until  long  after  this  period, 
height     of     legendary     absurd-  'Cf.  Dan.  iii.  19-27. 
ity,  greater  even  than  the  bold  *His   history    is   given    in   the 
conception    of    having    Tiberius  next  chapter, 
embrace   the   Christian   faith,   is  "Cf.  perhaps,  the  story  of  Neb- 
involved  in  having  him  readily  uchadnezzar's   restoration.    Dan. 
call  to  mind  a  passage  of  the  iv.33-37. 


CAESAR  BECOMES  A  CHRISTIAN 


485 


because  I  have  greatly  sinned  before  Thee,  O  Lord  my  God, 
and  I  am  not  worthy  to  see  Thy  face."  And  then  the  Em- 
peror Tiberius  was  instructed  in  all  the  articles  of  the  faith 
fully,  and  with  strong  faith.^ 


^The  details  of  this  absurd 
story  about  Tiberius,  as  well  as 
other  legends  in  this  and  the  fol- 
lowing chapters,  are  recounted 
at  great  length  in  a  book  pub- 
lished at  Lisbon  in  1496,  "Esto- 
ria  de  Muy  Nobre  Vespasiano 
Emperador  de  Roma."    A  Span- 


ish translation,  which  appeared 
at  Seville,  is  also  known.  Of 
course  those  authors  who  conde- 
scend to  consider  the  historic 
date  of  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, must  fasten  this  story  on 
Vespasian. 


35 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE  CORRESPONDENCE  OF  PILATE  AND  HEROD. 

Nathan's  Voyage — He  finds  Titus — The  Latter's  Af- 
fliction— Is  cured  and  converted — Sends  for  Ves- 
pasian— They  proceed  to  attack  Judaea — The  Jews 
terrified — Pilate's  Letter  to  Herod — His  Repent- 
ance— Christ's  Appearance  to  Procla — To  Pilate — 
Who  is  absolved — Herod's  Letter  to  Pilate — Death 
of  Herodias — Illness  of  Herod  and  Family — His 
Requests,  Death,  and  Burial — Punishment  of  Lon- 
ginus. 

Main  Sources:  (ii) — Narrative  regarding   the  Beheading  of  John 
the  Baptist. 
(59) — Epistles  of  Herod  and  Pilate,  Syriac  Form. 
(64) — Avenging  of  the  Saviour. 
(65) — Epistles  of  Pilate  and  Herod,  Greek  Form. 

(64)  Now  regarding  this  Nathan,  who  was  a  disciple  of  the 
Lord  and  baptized  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  the  story  is  as 
followeth :  He  was  a  man  from  Judaea,  an  Ishmaehte,  the 
son  of  Nahum,  who  went  from  land  to  land,  and  from  sea  to 
sea,  and  in  all  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Now  Nathan  was  sent 
from  Judaea  to  the  Emperor  Tiberius  to  carry  their  treaty  to 
the  city  of  Rome.  And  Nathan  wished  to  go  to  the  city  of 
Rome,  but  the  north  wind  blew  and  hindered  his  sailing, 
and  carried  him  down  to  the  harbour  of  a  city  of  Libia/ 
Burgidalla,  in  the  region  of  Equitania. 

^Libia,  Burgidalla,  and  Equi-  Albi,  Bordeaux,  and  Aquitaine. 
tania  are  probably  intended  to  The  geography  of  these  latter 
represent    the    modern    names,      regions  would  not  at  all  agree 

(486) 


THE  STORY  OF  NATHAN  AND  TITUS      487 

And  in  those  days,  Titus'  was  a  prince  under  Tiberius  in  (64) 
that  region.  And  he,  seeing  the  ship  coming,  knew  that  it 
was  from  Judaea ;  and  they  all  wondered,  and  said  that  they 
had  never  seen  any  vessel  so  coming  from  that  quarter. 
And  Titus  ordered  the  captain  to  come  to  him,  and  asked 
him  who  he  was.  And  he  said,  "I  am  Nathan  the  son  of 
Nahum,  of  the  race  of  the  Ishmaelites;  and  I  am  a  subject 
of  Pontius  Pilate,  in  Judaea.  And  I  have  been  sent  to  go  to 
Tiberius  the  Roman  Emperor,  to  carry  a  treaty  from  Judaea. 
And  a  strong  wind  came  down  upon  the  sea,  and  hath 
brought  me  to  a  country  that  I  do  not  know."  And  Titus 
saith,  "If  thou  couldest  at  any  time  find  anything  either  of 
cosmetics  or  herbs  which  would  cure  the  wound  that  I  have 
in  my  face,  as  thou  seest,  so  that  I  should  become  whole,  and 
regain  my  former  health,  I  would  bestow  upon  thee  many 
good  things."  For  Titus  had  a  sore  in  his  right  nostril, 
on  account  of  a  cancer;  and  he  had  his  face  torn  even  to 
the  eye.  And  Nathan  said  to  him,  "I  do  not  know,  nor  have 
I  ever  known,  of  such  things  as  thou  speakest  to  me  about. 
But  for  all  that,  if  thou  hadst  been  some  time  ago  in  Jeru- 
salem, there  thou  wouldest  have  found  a  choice  prophet, 
whose  name  was  Emmanuel ;  for  he  will  save  his  people 
from  their  sins.^  He  did  many  wonderful  deeds  and  mira- 
cles before  his  passion.  After  his  resurrection,  we  saw  him 
in  the  flesh  as  he  had  been  before."  And  Titus  said  to  him, 
"How  did  he  rise  again  from  the  dead,  seeing  that  he  was 
dead?"  And  Nathan  answered,  and  said,  "He  was  mani- 
festly dead,  and  hung  up  on  the  cross,  and  again  taken  down 
from  the  cross,  and  for  three  days  he  lay  in  the  tomb ;  there- 
with the  statement  that  the  ship  Burgidalla,  he  rejects  as  an  in- 
was  driven  thither  by  a  north  terpolation;  the  name  is  not 
wind  from  Judaea.  But  (64)  found  in  some  copies.  It  is  evi- 
has  no  historical  or  geographical  dent  from  the  narrative  that 
limitations.  Cowper  thinks  that  some  locality  in  Africa  was  in 
Equitania  means  the  African  the  writer's  mind, 
province  of  Zeugitana ;  and  Libia,  ^The  Saxon  version  reads 
the  city  of  Clypea,  or  Aspis,  Tirus. 
which     still     exists     under    the  ^Cf.  Mat.  i.21,  23. 

name    of    Calibia,    or    Kelibia; 


488        PILATE  AND  HEROD  CORRESPOND 

after,  he  rose  from  the  dead,  and  went  down  to  Hades,  and 
freed  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  and  the  whole  human 
race;  thereafter,  he  appeared  to  his  disciples,  and  ate  with 
them ;  thereafter,  they  saw  him  going  up  into  heaven.  And 
so  it  is  the  truth,  all  this  that  I  tell  thee ;  for  I  saw  it  with 
my  own  eyes,  and  all  the  house  of  Israel." 

(Ch)  And  Titus  said  in  his  own  words,  "Woe  to  thee,  O  Em- 
peror Tiberius,  full  of  ulcers  and  enveloped  in  leprosy,  that 
such  a  scandal  hath  been  committed  in  thy  kingdom;  be- 
cause thou  hast  made  such  kings^  in  Judaea,  in  the  land  of 
the  birth  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  they  have  seized 
the  king,  and  put  to  death  the  ruler  of  the  peoples  f  and  they 
have  not  made  him  come  to  us  to  cure  thee  of  thy  leprosy, 
and  cleanse  me  from  mine  infirmity;  on  which  account,  if 
they  had  been  before  my  face,  with  my  own  hands  I  should 
have  slain  the  carcasses  of  those  Jews,  and  hung  them  up  on 
the  cruel  tree,  because  they  have  destroyed  my  Lord,  and 
mine  eyes  have  not  been  worthy  to  see  his  face." 

(64)  And  when  he  had  spoken  thus, immediately  the  wound  fell 
from  the  face  of  Titus,  and  his  face  and  his  flesh  were  re- 
stored to  health.  And  all  the  sick  who  were  in  the  same 
place  were  made  whole  in  that  hour.  And  Titus  cried  out, 
and  all  the  rest  with  him,  in  a  loud  voice,  saying,  "My  king 
and  my  God,  because  I  have  never  seen  thee,  and  thou  hast 
made  me  whole,  bid  me  go  with  the  ship  over  the  waters 
to  the  land  of  thy  birth,  to  take  vengeance  on  thine  enemies ; 
and  help  me,  O  Lord,  that  I  may  be  able  to  destroy  them, 
and  avenge  thy  death.  Do  thou.  Lord,  deliver  them  into 
my  hand."^  And  having  thus  spoken  he  ordered  that  he 
should  be  baptized.  And  he  called  Nathan  to  him,  and  said 
to  him,  "How  hast  thou  seen  those  baptized  who  believe  in 

'Cowper     suggests     here     the  lowed  soon  after  Christ's  Cruci- 

emendation   of   leges   for  reges,  fixion,  and  attributes  the  former 

thus  reading,  "because  thou  hast  event  to  a   direct   case   of  ven- 

made  such  laws  in  Judaea."  geance     taken     for     the     latter. 

*Cf.  Micah  v.2  etc.  Many   of    his    gruesome    details 

'It    is   quite    evident    that    the  are   a    distorted   version    of   the 

compiler  of    (64)    believes   that  story  of  Jerusalem's  destruction 

the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  fol-  as  told  by  Josephus. 


VESPASIAN  AND  TITUS  IN  JUDAEA       489 

Christ?  Come  to  me,  and  baptize  me  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen.^  For 
I  also  firmly  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  all  my 
heart,  and  with  all  my  soul;  because  nowhere  in  the  whole 
world  is  there  another  who  hath  created  me,  and  made  me 
whole  from  my  wounds." 

And  having  thus  spoken,  Titus  sent  messengers  to  Ves-  (64) 
pasian  to  come  with  all  haste  with  his  bravest  men,  so  pre- 
pared as  if  for  war.  Then  Vespasian  brought  with  him  five 
thousand  armed  men,  and  they  went  to  meet  Titus.  And 
when  they  had  come  to  the  city  of  Libia,  he  said  to  Titus, 
"Why  is  it  that  thou  hast  made  me  come  hither?"  And  he 
said,  "Know  that  Jesus  hath  come  into  this  world,  and  hath 
been  born  in  Judaea,  in  a  place  which  is  called  Bethlehem, 
and  hath  been  given  up  by  the  Jews,  and  scourged  and 
crucified  on  Mount  Calvary,  and  hath  risen  again  from  the 
dead  on  the  third  day.  And  his  disciples  have  seen  him 
in  the  same  flesh  in  which  he  was  born ;  and  he  hath  shown 
himself  to  his  disciples,  and  they  have  believed  in  him.  And 
we  indeed  wish  to  become  his  disciples.  Now  let  us  go  and 
destroy  his  enemies  from  the  earth,  that  they  may  now  know 
that  there  is  none  like  the  Lord  our  God  on  the  face  of  the 
earth."  With  this  design,  then,  they  went  forth  from  the 
city  of  Libia,  which  is  called  Burgidalla,  and  went  on  board 
a  ship,  and  proceeded  to  Jerusalem,  and  surrounded  the 
kingdom  of  the  Jews,  and  began  to  send  them  to  destruc- 
tion.^ 

And  when  the  kings  of  the  Jews  heard  of  their  doings,  (59) 

( 64 ) 
and  the  wasting  of  their  land,  fear  came  upon  them,  and  (g^) 

they  were  in  great  perplexity.     And  Pilate,  the  governor  of 

*The  Saxon  here  reads,  "Then  ment  with  my  other  accounts  of 

Nathan  came,  and  baptized  him  the    vengeance    visited    on    the 

in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  Jews    by    Rahab    and    Licianus, 

the    Son,    and    the   Holy   Ghost,  which  follow  in  the  next  chap- 

and    took    away    from    him    his  ter,    I    must    here    suppose    that 

name  of  Tirus,  and  called  him  Titus  and  Vespasian  did  not  for 

in  his  baptism,  Titus,  which  is  some  time  attack  Jerusalem  it- 

in  our  language  'Pius.'  "  self. 

"To  make  any  sort  of  adjust- 


490        PILATE  AND  HEROD  CORRESPOND 

Jerusalem,  wrote  a  letter  to  Herod  the  Tetrarch,  sending 
greeting,  and  saying  :^ 
(59)  I  did  nothing  good  on  that  day  on  which  the  Jews  brought 
*~°5)  forward  Jesus  called  Christ,  when,  under  thy  persuasion,  I 
did  on  him  thy  pleasure,  joining  with  thee  in  crucifying 
him.  But  I  had  compassion  on  myself,  and  testified  by  wash- 
ing of  my  hands,  that  I  was  free  from  his  blood,  who  rose 
from  the  grave  after  three  days.  But  I  now  learn  this  from 
the  Jews,  and  from  the  executioners,  and  from  the  centurion, 
and  the  soldiers  who  watched  his  sepulchre.  And  I  myself 
also  have  been  persuaded  to  send  to  Galilee,  and  I  have 
especially  confirmed  what  was  told  me,  that  he  appeared 
there  bodily,  in  his  own  flesh,  in  the  same  form,  and  with 
the  same  voice,  and  with  the  same  doctrine,  and  with  the 
same  disciples,  not  having  changed  in  anything;  he  showed 
himself  to  more  than  five  hundred^  devout  men,  preaching 
with  boldness  his  resurrection  and  an  everlasting  kingdom. 
And,  behold,  for  his  holy  doctrines,  the  heavens  and  earth 
ieem  to  leap  for  joy. 
(59)  And  my  wife  Procla,  having  believed  on  account  of  the 
'"5)  visions^  which  appeared  to  her  while  I  was  hesitating  to 
deliver  Jesus  up  through  thy  counsel,  when  thou  sentest 
that  I  should  deliver  him  to  the  people  of  Israel,  because  of 
the  ill-will  they  had — she  having  heard  that  Jesus  was  risen, 
and  had  appeared  in  Galilee,  left  me;  and  took  with  her 
Longinus  the  faithful  centurion,  and  twelve  soldiers,  the 
same  that  had  watched  at  the  sepulchre;  and  went  forth  to 
greet  the  face  of  the  Messiah,  as  if  to  a  great  spectacle ;  and 
she  saw  him  with  his  disciples,  seated  in  a  cultivated  field,  a 
great  crowd  standing  by,  and  teaching  the  mighty  works  of 
the  fathers,  so  that  all  wondered  and  were  am_azed  whether 
the  one  having  suflfered  and  been  crucified  were  raised  from 
the  dead.  And  whilst  they  were  standing  and  wondering 
and  gazing  at  him,  he,  conscious  of  it,  looked  at  them,  and 

^The  Syriac  gives  Herod's  let-  the  order  intended  by  the  orig- 

ter  first ;  I  here  follow  the  Greek  inal  compiler, 

order,  which  places  Pilate's  let-  *Cf.  I  Cor.  xv.6. 

ter  first,  and  seems  to  me  to  be  ^See  notes  on  chap,  XXIII. 


PILATE'S  LETTER  TO  HEROD  491 

talked  to  them,  and  said,  "What  is  it  ?  Do  ye  still  not  believe 
me,  Procia  and  Longinus?  Art  thou  not  he  who  watched 
my  sufferings  and  my  tomb  ?  And  didst  not  thou,  O  woman, 
send  to  thy  husband  concerning  me  ?  Procia,  dost  thou  not 
believe  the  covenant  of  God,  which  the  fathers  gave?  For 
in  that  it  is  said,  that  every  body  which  hath  perished  should 
live  by  means  of  my  death,  which  ye  have  seen.  And  now, 
ye  see  that  I  live,  whom  ye  crucified.  And  I  suffered  many 
things,  till  that  I  was  laid  in  the  sepulchre.  Wherefore,  I, 
having  been  raised  up,  will  make  alive  all  lost  flesh  through 
my  death  which  ye  saw.  Wherefore,  hear  now,  that  all  flesh 
believing  upon  the  Father,  God,  and  upon  me,  is  not  lost. 
For  I  loosed  the  pains  of  death,  and  brake  the  gates  of 
Sheol,  and  pierced  the  many-headed  dragon  ;^  and  my  com- 
ing shall  be  hereafter.  And  as  each  one  possesseth  in  my 
future  presence,  being  raised  up  in  body  and  mind,  he  will 
thank  my  Father  for  my  being  crucified  by  Pontius  Pilate." 

And  my  wife  Procia,  having  heard  him  say  these  things,  (59) 
and  the  centurion  Longinus  who  was  trusted  to  watch  over  *'5) 
the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  and  the  soldiers  who  journeyed 
with  her,  weeping  and  groaning  came  and  announced  to  me 
these  things.  For  they  also  were  against  him,  when  they  de- 
vised the  evils  which  they  had  done  unto  him.  And  when 
I  heard  them,  I  announced  them  to  the  army  leaders  and  to 
their  fellow  soldiers.  And  they,  grieving  and  weeping  daily, 
reflected  upon  the  evil  which  they  did  to  him,  as  I  also  my- 
self, in  the  anguish  of  my  life,  was  on  the  couch  of  my  bed 
in  affliction  and  fasting,  and  put  on  a  garment  of  mourning, 
and  took  unto  me  fifty  Romans  with  my  wife,  and  went  into 
Galilee.  And  when  I  was  going  on  the  way,  I  testified 
these  things,  that  Herod  did  these  things  by  me;  that  he 
took  counsel  with  me,  and  constrained  me  to  arm  my  hands 
against  him,^  and  to  judge  him  that  judgeth  all,  and  to 

'Cf.     Is.     li.9.     According    to  name  Rahab,  for  Pilate's  or  the 
many  of  the  Rabbins,  the  Rahab  Emperor's  runner,  has  probably 
mentioned   in   the  verse  quoted,  some   connection   with   this   leg- 
was   a    mighty   angel,   who   was  end. 
slain  by   God.     The  apocryphal  *Note    that    the    very    ancient 


492        PILATE  AND  HEROD  CORRESPOND 

scourge  the  just  one,  lord  of  the  just.  And  when  we  arew 
nigh  to  him,  O  Herod,  a  great  voice  was  heard  from  heaven, 
and  dreadful  thunder;  and  the  earth  trembled,  and  gave 
forth  a  sweet  smell,^  like  unto  which  was  never  perceived, 
even  in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem.  Now  while  I  stood  in 
the  way,  our  Lord  saw  me  as  he  stood  and  talked  with  his 
disciples.  But  I  prayed  in  my  heart,  for  I  knew  that  it  was 
he  whom  ye  delivered  unto  me,  that  he  was  Lord  of  created 
things  and  Creator  of  all.  But  we,  when  we  saw  him,  all  of 
us  fell  upon  our  faces  before  his  feet.  And  I  said  with  a 
loud  voice,  "I  have  sinned,  O  Lord,  in  that  I  sat  and  judged 
thee,  who  avengest  all  in  truth.  And  lo,  I  know  that  thou  art 
God,  the  Son  of  God,  and  I  beheld  thy  humanity  and  not  thy 
divinity.  But  Herod,  with  the  children  of  Israel,  con- 
strained me  to  do  evil  unto  thee.  Have  pity,  therefore,  upon 
me,  O  God  of  Israel."  And  my  wife  in  great  anguish,  said, 
"God  of  heaven  and  earth,  God  of  Israel,  reward  me  not 
according  to  the  deeds  of  Pontius  Pilate,  nor  according  to 
the  will  of  the  children  of  Israel,  nor  according  to  the 
thoughts  of  the  sons  of  the  priests ;  but  remember  my  hus- 
band in  thy  glory !"  And  the  Lord  drew  near  and  raised  me 
up,  and  my  wife,  and  the  Romans,  from  the  earth.  And  I, 
gazing  intently  upon  him,  saw  his  body  still  having  the 
wounds  of  scourging  and  the  scars  of  his  cross.  And  he 
placed  his  hands  upon  my  shoulders,  saying,  "All  genera- 
tions and  tribes  will  bless  thee,^  because  in  thy  time  was  that 
which  all  the  righteous  fathers  hoped  to  receive  and  saw 
not,^  that  the  son  of  man,  the  Son  of  the  Most  High,  who 
is  forever,  died  and  rose  again  from  the  dead,  and  will 
ascend  to  the  heavens,  and  will  sit  down  among  the  highest ; 

Gospel  of  Peter  in  like  manner  monest    adornments    introduced 

represents   Herod  as  the   leader  in  apocryphal  Hterature. 

in    crucifying    Christ.      The    fa-  'This  passage  is  also  found  in 

vourable  view  of  Pilate  was  held  (62),  and  will  so  be  found  again 

early.  in    chap.    XXXVIII,    as    drawn 

^The  sweet  smell  seems  to  be  from  that  document.     Cf.  Luke 

a  symbol  of  the  nearness  of  par-  i.48. 

adise ;  it  is,  as  we  have  seen  in  ^Cf.  I  Pet  i.io. 
many  places,  one  of  the   com- 


HEROD'S  LETTER  TO  PILATE  493 

and  is  glorified  on  high  by  all  that  he  created,  and  estab- 
lished forever.  And  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  know 
that  I  am  he  who  shall  come  to  judge  the  living  and  dead 
at  the  last  day." 

And  Herod,  Tetrarch  of  Galilee,  wrote  to  Pontius  Pilate,  (59) 
governor  of  the  Jews,  sending  greeting,  and  saying:  ^^^^ 

Being  in  no  little  grief  on  account  of  the  divine  retribu-  (n) 
tion,  I  write  thee,  that  when  thou  hearest  it,  thou  mayest  ^A^} 
likewise  be  grieved  for  me.  For  I  keep  longing  for  my 
daughter  Herodias,^  who  was  dear  to  me,  who  lost  her  life 
upon  the  water  when  playing,  the  river  being  full  to  the 
bank  and  having  ice  upon  it.  For  suddenly  the  water  was 
increased  even  to  her  neck,  and  the  ice  brake  under  her,  and 
all  her  body  went  down ;  and  her  mother  grasped  her  by  the 
head  in  order  that  she  might  not  be  taken  under  the  water; 
and  the  child's  head  was  cut  off  and  remained  upon  the 
surface  of  the  ice,  so  that  my  wife  could  hold  only  the  head, 
and  the  water  took  her  whole  body.  And  my  wife  is  holding 
the  head  upon  her  knees  in  her  lap  and  weeping,  and  the 
whole  household  is  in  indescribable  grief.^ 

And  I  suffer  a  great  multitude  of  ills,  because  having  (59) 
heard  concerning  the  man  Jesus,  I  treated  him  contempt-  ^°S) 
uously.  And  I  wish  to  go  and  see  him  alone,  and  to  fall 
before  him,  and  to  hear  his  word  whether  it  is  like  that  of  the 
sons  of  men,  since  I  did  many  evil  things  against  him,  and 
mocked  the  Messiah,  the  reward  of  righteousness,  and  John 
the  Baptist;  and  behold,  I  receive  justly  the  things  I  deserve. 
For  my  father  made  much  flowing  of  blood  upon  the  earth,^ 
of  other  people's  children,  on  account  of  Jesus.  And  I 
again  beheaded  John,  who  baptized  him.  Therefore  the 
judgments  of  God  are  righteous,  for  every  man  receiveth 
according  to  his  thought.^     But  since  thou  wast  worthy  to 

^The  name  should  be  Salome;  I  have,  endeavoured  to  embrace 

see  note  on  chap.  XVI.  all    the    versions,    and    have,    I 

''This  story  is  not  only  found  fear,  made  an  extremely  diffuse 

in    (65),    (59),    and    (11),    but  narrative, 

also    in   the   Golden   Legend,   in  ^Cf.  Mat.  ii.i6. 

Pseudo-Dorotheus,       and       Ni-  *Cf.  Acts  viii.22. 
cephorus,   besides   other  places. 


494        PILATE  AND  HEROD  CORRESPOND 

see  that  God-man,  therefore  it  becometh  thee  to  pray  for 
me,  and  when  thou  canst  again  see  the  man  Jesus,  then 
struggle  in  my  behalf,  and  be  an  ambassador  for  me.  For  to 
you,  the  Gentiles,  was  the  kingdom  given  according  to  the 
prophets  and  the  Messiah. 
(59)  And  Lesbonax,^  my  son,  is  of  necessity  at  the  last  of  life, 
^  ^^  and  in  the  agony  of  death,  being  afflicted  with  a  withering 
fever  many  days.  And  I,  indeed,  myself  am  lying  greatly 
enfeebled,  in  affliction  and  great  trial  with  a  dropsical  com- 
plaint ;  and  I  am  in  great  distress  because  I  persecuted  the 
introducer  of  baptism  by  water,  which  was  John.^  There- 
fore, my  brother,  the  judgments  of  God  are  righteous.^ 
(59)  And  my  wife  also,  through  all  her  grief  for  the  house- 
^^^  hold,  is  become  blind  in  her  left  eye,  because  we  desired  to 
blind  the  eye  of  righteousness.  There  is  no  peace  to  the 
doers  of  evil,  saith  the  Lord.*  For  already  great  affliction 
Cometh  upon  the  priests,  and  the  assembly. of  the  elders  of 
the  sons  of  Israel,  and  the  writers  of  the  law ;  and  death  will 
take  hold  of  them,  because  they  unjustly  laid  hands  upon 
the  just  Jesus,  and  delivered  him  unto  thee.  These  things 
were  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  consummation  of  the  ages,  so  that 
the  Gentiles  are  the  heirs  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the 
sons  of  light  shall  be  cast  out,^  because  we  have  not  kept 
the  things  preached  in  regard  to  the  Lord,  nor  the  things 
preached  in  regard  to  His  Son.  Therefore  gird  up  thy  loins,® 
and  seek  again  thy  righteousness,  thou  with  thy  wife  remem- 

*No  such  son  of  Herod  is  thought  it  worth  while  to  re- 
known.  This  is  the  reading  of  print  them.  Cf.  also  in  connec- 
the  Greek  text ;  the  Syriac  has  tion,  Acts  xii.23.  None  of  these 
"Azbonius."  authorities  speak  of  the  dropsy, 

*The  compiler  has  here,  and  in  and  that   feature,  as   introduced 

the    rest    of    the    letter,    drawn  here,   has    striking  similarity  to 

upon    the     account     of     Herod  the  legend  of  the  death  of  Judas 

Agrippa's  death,  as  given  by  Jo-  Iscariot. 

sephus,  Antiq.,  bk.  XIX,  8,  and  ^Ps.  xix.9,  etc. 

as    abbreviated    by    Eusebius    in  *Ci.  Is.  xlviii.22;  lvii.21. 

his  Ch.  Hist.     Some  literal  ex-  "Cf.  Luke  xvi.8. 

tracts    from    the    latter   are    ap-  'Cf.  I  Pet.  i.13. 
pended  to  (59),  but  I  have  not 


HEROD'S  LETTER  TO  PILATE  495 

bering  Jesus  night  and  day;  and  the  kingdom  shall  belong 
to  you  Gentiles ;  for  we  the  chosen  people  of  God  have 
mocked  the  righteous  one. 

Now  if  there  is  any  place  for  our  request,  O  Pilate,  since  (59) 
we  have  been  contemporaries  in  power,  bury  my  household  ^^^ 
with  care ;  for  it  is  more  proper  that  we  should  be  buried 
by  thee  than  by  the  priests,  whom,  shortly  after,  according 
to  the  scriptures,  at  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  vengeance 
shall  overtake,  I  send  thee  the  ear-rings  of  my  wife^  and 
my  own  signet  ring,  that  they  may  be  unto  thee  a  memorial 
of  me  after  my  death.  For  already  worms  begin  to  issue 
Irom  my  mouth, ^  and  lo,  I  am  receiving  temporal  judgment; 
and  I  am  afraid  of  the  judgment  to  come;  for  I  shall  doubly 
receive  the  judgments  of  the  living  God.  We  may  escape  in 
this  life,  being  of  short  duration  here,  but  there  the  condem- 
nation and  the  retribution  for  our  deeds  is  everlasting.  Fare 
thee  well  with  Procla  thy  wife ! 

And  when  Herod  was  sitting  down,  the  head  of  Herodias  (n) 
was  brought ;  and  he  took  it  upon  his  knees,  and  began  to 
weep  and  say  "O  righteous  water,  more  cutting  than  un- 
righteous death !  O  tomb  of  the  holy  ones,  prepared  in  the 
holy  temple  !*  O  righteous  tomb,  not  having  received  un- 
righteous bodies,  but  having  sent  them  forth  to  the  fowls  of 
heaven  and  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth  !"  When  Herod  died, 
the  earth  did  not  receive  his  body,  but  spewed  it  out.  And 
the  fowls  of  the  heaven  came  and  took  away  his  flesh.* 


^The     Syriac     says,     "of     my  rious  apocryphal  tales  are  often 

daughter."  mingled.      Our    document    (11), 

''See  Acts  xii.23,  after  which  here  tells  of  Herod  the  same 
this  statement  is  made.  The  an-  story  about  holding  the  head  in 
achronism  of  placing  Agrippa's  his  lap,  that  (59)  and  (65)  re- 
death  at  this  time  is  evident.  late  of  his  wife.  And  further. 
Various  descriptions  of  his  pun-  (60)  tells  in  my  next  chapter 
ishment  in  hell  are  extant.  the  same  tale  about  the  burial  of 

^The  reference  is  to  the  event  Caiaphas,    that    is    here    related 

recorded   at   the   close   of   chap.  with  regard  to  Herod.     Jewish 

XVI.  feeling  about  this   fate   is  illus- 

*We  have  a  good  illustration  trated  by  Deut.  xxviii.26. 
here  of  the  manner  in  which  va- 


496        PILATE  AND  HEROD  CORRESPOND 

(65)  Now  in  the  same  hour,  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  having  laid 
hold  of  the  head  of  Longinus  who  pierced  the  side  of  Jesus 
with  a  spear,  took  him  beyond  the  Jordan  to  a  desert  place ; 
and  bringing  him  further  to  a  cave,  stretched  him  on  the 
ground  on  his  face.  And  a  lion  was  so  stationed  as  to  come 
forth  at  evening  and  to  consume  the  body  until  morning.^ 
And  in  the  morning  the  lion  goeth  away,  and  again  his  Body 
groweth  again.^  And  he  suffereth  this  punishment  until  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

'This  story  is  an  evident  adap-  *The  story  reminds  me  of  an 

tation  of  the  classical  tales  about  incident    in    the    legend    of    St. 

Prometheus,     Tityus,     Tantalus,  Mary  the  Egyptian   (commemo- 

etc.    For  the  favourable  and  more  rated  Apr.  2).     In  this  same  lo- 

generally  accepted  legends  as  to  cality,  beyond  Jordan  in  the  des- 

the  close  of  the  life  of  Longinus,  ert,  a  lion  came  and  buried  the 

see  note  on  chap.  XXVI.  dead  body  of  the  saint. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE  AVENGING  OF  THE  SAVIOUR. 

Rahab  slaughters  the  Jews — Death  of  Caiaphas — 
Other  Captives  brought  to  Rome — Pilate  protect- 
ed BY  the  Holy  Tunic — Stripped  and  sent  to  Prison 
— LiciANUS  ravages  Judaea  by  Caesar's  Decree — 
Pilate  sentenced  by  Caesar — Executed  by  Albius — 
Pardoned  by  God — Some  say  he  was  slain  by  Caesar 
— Or  kills  Himself — Cast  into  the  Tiber — Taken 
to  Vienna — Final  Destruction  of  All  the  Jews. 

Main  Sources:  (6o) — Epistle  of  Tiberius  to  Pilate. 
(62) — Giving  Up  of  Pontius  Pilate. 
(63) — Death  of  Pilate,  who  condemned  Jesus. 
(64) — Avenging  of  the  Saviour. 

And  Rahab,  having  come  to  Jerusalem,  did  as  he  was  (60) 
commanded,  and  overcame  with  the  sword  all  the  male  race 
of  the  Jews.^    But  the  Gentiles  mingled  with  their  women, 
who   were    unchaste;    and   the    abominable    seed   of   their 
father  Satan  rose  up  and  grew  again.^ 

*If  we  are  to  reconcile  this  the  historical  facts  regarding 
imaginary  expedition  with  the  their  destruction  of  the  nation 
accounts  of  those  of  Licianus,  of  the  Jews, 
and  Titus  and  Vespasian,  which  *A  fine  illustration,  this  state- 
follow,  we  may  imagine  that  it  ment,  of  the  amenities  of  early 
was  merely  a  punitive  visitation  controversy  between  Jews  and 
on  the  male  Jews  of  Jerusalem;  Christians.  These  apocryphal 
that  Licianus  ravaged  all  of  Ju-  writings  re-echo  the  distasteful 
daea;  and  that  Titus  and  Ves-  Jewish  blasphemy,  that  Christ 
pasian  completed  the  work  of  was  born  of  fornication;  the 
destruction   in   accordance   with  Christian     pseudepigrapher     re- 

(497) 


498        THE  AVENGING  OF  THE  SAVIOUR 

(60)  And  the  runner  Rahab  having  taken  Pilate,  Archelaus 
and  PhiHp,  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  and  all  the  chiefs  of  the 
Jews,  started  to  bring  them  bound  to  Rome.  And  Arche- 
laus was  perplexed  in  his  words,  and  said  to  his  son,  "My 
son,  take  the  kingdom  and  judge  it,  and  take  counsel  with 
the  other  kings  who  are  in  the  land  of  Judaea,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  escape  from  our  enemies."  And  having  said  this, 
he  unsheathed  his  sword,  and  thrust  it  into  his  breast,  and 
died.^  And  it  chanced  that  while  they  were  going  to  Rome, 
Caiaphas  severed  his  life  violently  and  wretchedly  in  an 
island  called  Crete.  And  having  taken  him  that  they  might 
bury  him,  the  earth  did  not  receive  the  whole  of  him,  but 
threw  him  out.  The  whole  multitude,  seeing  this,  having 
taken  up  stones,  with  friendly  hands  they  cast  them  upon 
him ;  and  thus  they  buried  him.^ 
(60)  The  rest  were  brought  to  harbour  in  Rome,  Pilate  having 
1^::?  first  for  a  time  been  confined  in  prison  in  Damascus,  guarded 
(64)  by  four  quaternions  of  soldiers.  And  Caesar,  hearing  that 
Pilate  had  arrived  at  Rome,  was  filled  with  exceeding  fury 
against  him,  and  sat  in  the  temple  of  the  gods,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all  the  senate,  and  with  all  the  army  and  all  the 
multitude  of  his  power ;  and  he  caused  him  to  be  brought  to 
him,  and  ordered  him  to  stand  forward.^  But  Pilate  had 
brought  down  with  him  the  seamless  tunic  of  Jesus  ;*  and  he 
wore  it  on  him  in  the  presence  of  the  Emperor.  And  as 
soon  as  the  Emperor  saw  him,  he  laid  aside  all  his  anger, 
and  forthwith  rose  up  to  meet  him ;  nor  was  he  able  to  speak 

torts  with  alleged  proof  that  the<  known.    The  legend  of  St.  Bren- 

whole  Jewish   race   was   subject  .dan  tells  the  particulars   of  his 

to  the  same  charge.  ^punishment     in     hell.     (8),     in 

^The    historical    fact    probably  chap.   I,  ascribes  the  authorship 

is  that  he  died  in  banishment  in  of  that  work  to  Joseph  Caiaphas, 

the    region   of   Vienna,   but    Je-  and  Josephus  states  that  this  was 

rome  states  that  he  had  seen  his  his  full  name.    A  tradition  of  the 

sepulchre  near  Bethlehem.  Syrian  Jacobites  maintains  that 

*See  note  on  death  of  Herod,  Caiaphas  became  a  Christian, 

preceding  chapter.  Caiaphas    was  ^Or,  "in  the  entrance." 

deposed  by  Vitellius  about  a.  d.  ^See     fourth    note    on    chap. 

36,  but  his  later  history  is  not  XXVI. 


PILATE  BEFORE  CAESAR  499 

harshly  to  him  in  anything;  and  he  who  seemed  so  terrible 
and  fierce  in  his  absence,  now  in  his  presence  was  somehow 
found  to  be  mild.  And  Pilate  said,  "O  almighty  king,^ 
I  am  innocent  of  these  things,  but  the  multitude  of  the  Jews 
are  violent  and  guilty."  And  the  Caesar  said,  "And  who 
are  they?"  Pilate  saith,  "Herod,  Archelaus,  Philip,  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  and  all  the  multitude  of  the  Jews."  The 
Caesar  saith,  "For  what  reason  didst  thou  follow  out  their 
counsel?"  And  Pilate  saith,  "Their  nation  is  rebellious 
and  insubmissive,  not  submitting  themselves  to  thy  power." 
And  the  Caesar  said,  "When  they  delivered  him  to  thee, 
thou  oughtest  to  have  made  him  secure,  and  to  have  sent 
him  to  me,  and  not  to  have  obeyed  them  in  crucifying  such 
a  man,  righteous  as  he  was,  and  one  that  did  such  good 
miracles,  as  thou  hast  said  in  thy  report.  For  from  such 
miracles,  Jesus  was  manifestly  the  Christ,  the  king  of  the 
Jews."  And  as  Caesar  was  thus  speaking,  when  he  named 
the  name  of  Christ,  all  the  multitude  of  the  gods  fell  down 
in  a  body,  and  became  as  dust,  when  the  Caesar  was  sitting 
with  the  senate.^  And  the  people  standing  beside  the 
Caesar  all  began  to  tremble,  on  account  of  the  speaking  of 
the  word,  and  the  fall  of  their  gods ;  and  being  seized  with 
terror,  they  all  went  away,  each  to  his  own  house,  v.'onder- 
ing  at  what  had  happened. 

And  when  Caesar  had  sent  Pilate  away,  immediately  he  (63) 
blazed  out  against  him  terribly,  crying  out  that  he  was  a 
wretch,  inasmuch  as  he  had  not  at  all  shown  him  the  fury 
of  his  heart.  And  immediately  he  made  him  to  be  called 
back,  swearing  and  declaring  that  he  was  the  son  of  death, 
and  that  it  was  infamous  that  he  should  live  upon  the  earth. 
And  as  soon  as  he  saw  him,  he  forthwith  saluted  him,  and 
threw  away  all  the  ferocity  of  his  mind.  All  wondered; 
and  he  himself  wondered  that  he  should  thus  blaze  out 
against  Pilate  when  he  was  absent,  and  that  while  he  was 
present  he  could  say  nothing  to  him  roughly.     Then  by  a 

*Gr.  avTOKpoLTiap.  miracle  told  in  the  Gospels  of 

^Reference   is   scarcely   needed      the  Infancy, 
to    the    instances    of    the    same 


500        THE  AVENGING  OF  THE  SAVIOUR 

divine  impulse,  or  perhaps  by  the  advice  of  some  Christian/ 
he  caused  him  to  be  stripped  of  that  tunic,  and  immediately 
resumed  against  him  his  former  ferocity  of  mind.  And 
when  at  this  the  Emperor  wondered  very  much,  it  was  told 
him  that  that  tunic  had  belonged  to  the  Lord  Jesus.^  Then 
the  Emperor  ordered  him  to  be  kept  in  prison,  until  he 
should  deliberate  in  a  council  of  the  wise  men  what  ought  to 
be  done  with  him. 

(62)  And  on  the  following  day,  Caesar,  sitting  in  the  Capitol 
with  the  senate,  tried  again  to  question  Pilate.  And  Caesar 
saith,  "Tell  the  truth,  O  most  impious,  because  through  thy 
impious  action  which  thou  hast  perpetrated  against  Jesus, 
even  here  the  doing  of  thy  wicked  deeds  hath  been  shown 
by  the  gods  having  been  cast  down.  Say,  then,  who  is  he 
that  hath  been  crucified ;  because  even  his  name  hath  de- 
stroyed all  the  gods?"  Pilate  said,  "Indeed  the  records 
of  him  are  true ;  for  assuredly  I  myself  was  persuaded  from 
his  works  that  he  was  greater  than  all  the  gods  whom  we 
worship."  And  the  Caesar  said,  "For  what  reason,  then, 
didst  thou  bring  against  him  such  audacity,  and  such  doings, 
if  thou  wert  not  ignorant  of  him,  and  altogether  devising 
mischief  against  my  kingdom?"  Pilate  said,  "On  account 
of  the  wickedness  and  rebellion  of  the  lawless  and  ungodly 
Jews,  I  did  this."  And  Caesar,  being  filled  with  rage,  held 
a  council  with  all  his  senate  and  his  power,  and  ordered  a 
decree  to  be  written  against  the  Jews,  as  followeth : 

(62)  To  Licianus,^  the  governor  of  the  chief  places  of  the  East, 
greeting.  The  reckless  deed  which  hath  been  done  at  the 
present  time  by  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  cities 
of  the  Jews  round  about,  and  their  wicked  action,  hath  come 
to  my  knowledge,  that  they  have  forced  Pilate  to  crucify 

^This   word   rarely  appears   in  'No  such  person  is  known  in 

the  apocryphal  documents  I  have  the   history   of  those   times.     I 

used.  suppose   that   the   name   is   only 

*The  garment  that  renders  in-  a  corruption  of  Volusianus,  and 

visible,  or  preserves  from  harm,  this  whole  story  told  by  (62),  a 

is   widely   known   in   mythology  confusion  of  his  office  with  that 

and  folk-lore,  so  that  references  of  Vitellius,  the  governor, 
are  scarcely  necessary. 


PILATE  SENTENCED  TO  DEATH  501 

a  certain  god  named  Jesus,  and  on  account  of  this  great 
fault  of  theirs  the  world  hath  been  darkened  and  dragged  to 
destruction.  Do  thou,  then,  speedily,  with  a  multitude  of 
soldiers,  go  to  them  there,  and  make  them  prisoners,  in 
accordance  with  this  decree.  Be  obedient,  and  take  action 
against  them,  and  scatter  them,  and  make  them  slaves 
among  all  the  nations.  And  having  driven  them  out  of 
all  Judaea,  make  them  the  smallest  of  nations,  so  that  it  may 
not  any  longer  be  seen  at  all,  because  they  are  full  of 
wickedness.^ 

And  this  decree  having  come  into  the  regions  of  the  East,  (62) 
Licianus,  obeying  from  fear  of  the  decree,  seized  all  the 
nation  of  the  Jews;  and  those  that  were  left  in  Judaea  he 
scattered  among  the  nations,  and  sold  for  slaves,^  so  that  it 
was  known  to  Caesar  that  these  things  had  been  done  by 
Licianus  against  the  Jews  in  the  region  of  the  East;  and  it 
pleased  him. 

And  again,  a  few  days  after,  the  Caesar  set  himself  to  (62) 
question  Pilate;  and  sentence  was  passed  upon  him,  that  he  ^  '^■^ 
should  be  condemned  to  the  most  disgraceful  death.  And 
Caesar  ordered  a  captain  named  Albius'  to  cut  off  Pilate's 
head,  saying,  "Just  as  he  laid  hands  upon  the  just  man 
named  Christ,  in  like  manner  also  shall  he  fall,  and  not  find 
safety."  And  Pilate,  going  away  to  the  place,  prayed  in 
silence,  saying,  "Lord,  do  not  destroy  me  along  with  the 
wicked  Hebrews,  because  I  would  not  have  laid  hands  upon 
thee  except  for  the  nation  of  the  lawless  Jews,  because  they 
were  exciting  rebellion  against  me.  But  Thou  knowest  that 
I  did  it  in  ignorance.  Do  not  then  destroy  me  for  this  my 
sin ;  but  remember  not  evil  against  me,  O  Lord,  and  against 
Thy  servant  Procla,  who  is  standing  with  me  in  the  hour  of 
my  death,  whom  Thou  didst  appoint  to  prophesy  that  Thou 
shuuldest  be  nailed  to  the  cross.    Do  not  condemn  her  also 


^The  text  here  is  very  corrupt.  name  another  echo  of  the  name 

"Lit.  "He  made  to  be  slaves  in  of   Albinus,   already  mentioned; 

the  dispersion  of  the  Gentiles."  he  was  the  eighth  procurator  of 

^Perhaps     we     have     in     this  Judaea  in  succession  to  Pilate. 
36 


502        THE  AVENGING  OF.  THE  SAVIOUR 

in  my  sin;  but  pardon  us,  and  make  us  to  be  numbered  in 
the  portion  of  Thy  righteous."^ 

(62)  And,  behold,  when  Pilate  had  finished  his  prayer,  there 
came  a  voice  out  of  the  heaven,  saying,  "All  the  generations 
and  families  of  the  nations  shall  count  thee  blessed,  because 
under  thee  have  been  fulfilled  all  those  things  said  about  me 
by  the  prophets ;  and  thou  thyself  shalt  be  seen  as  my  wit- 
ness at  my  second  appearing,  when  I  shall  judge  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  those  that  have  not  owned  my  name." 
And  the  prefect  struck  off  the  head  of  Pilate;  and,  behold, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  received  it.^  And  his  wife  Procla, 
seeing  the  angel  coming  and  receiving  his  head,  being  filled 
with  joy  herself  also,  immediately  gave  up  the  ghost,  and 
was  buried  along  with  her  husband.^ 

(60)  But  others  say  that  Pilate  was  killed  by  the  hands  of 
Caesar  himself.  For  they  relate  that  it  was  customary  with 
the  ancient  kings,  that  if  any  one  condemned  to  death  saw 
their  face,  he  was  rescued  from  the  sentence.  Wherefore 
Caesar  ordered  that  Pilate  should  not  see  him,  in  order  that 
he  might  not  be  rescued  from  death.  By  his  command, 
they  placed  Pilate  in  a  certain  cave,  and  left  him  there. 
But  on  a  certain  day,  Caesar  having  gone  to  the  chase,  was 
pursuing  an  antelope,  and  the  antelope  coming  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  cave,  stopped.  And  in  order  that  destiny  might 
be  fulfilled,  that  Pilate  was  to  be  killed  by  Caesar,  Pilate 
cleared  the  way  to  see  the  king.  And  the  antelope  standing 
opposite  him,  Caesar  hurled  a  dart  with  the  bow  to  kill  the 

^A   quotation   speaking   of   fa-  the  later  Church  apparently  pur- 

miliarity    with    the    Te    Deum.  sued   Pilate  as   remorselessly  as 

"Make    them    to    be    numbered  Judas.     When    the    empire   was 

with   thy    saints    in   glory   ever-  heathen,     Pilate's    hesitation    in 

lasting."  condemning    Christ    caused    his 

''The  early  view  certainly  was  justice  to  be  commended;  but 
that  Pilate  was  almost  a  saint;  when  the  empire  became  Chris- 
Tertullian  indicates  this  view  in  tion,  the  fact  that  he  had  con- 
Apology,  chap.  21.  The  Ethiopic  demned  the  Saviour  at  all,  con- 
calendar  inserts  Pilate  as  a  signed  his  memory  to  undying 
saint,  as  well  as  Procla,  on  June  infamy. 

25.    On  the  other  hand,  as  the  ''Cf.    Acts    v.  10.     Some    Mss. 

succeeding    legends    will    show,  here  add  a  doxology. 


THE  DEATH  OF  PILATE  503 

antelope.     And    the    dart    entering    through    the    opening 
killed  Pilate.i 

And  still  others  say  that  when  Pilate  heard  that  he  had  (63) 
been  condemned,  he  killed  himself  with  his  own  knife,  and 
by  such  a  death  ended  his  life.  When  Caesar  knew  of  the 
death  of  Pilate,  he  said,  "Truly,  he  hath  died  by  a  most  dis- 
graceful death,  whom  his  own  hand  hath  not  spared."^ 
Pilate  was  therefore  bound  to  a  great  mass,  and  sunk  into 
the  river  Tiber.  But  malignant  and  filthy  spirits  in  his 
malignant  and  filthy  body,  all  rejoicing  together,  kept  mov- 
ing themselves  in  the  waters,  and  in  a  terrible  manner 
brought  lightnings  and  tempests,  thunders  and  hailstorms, 
in  the  air,  so  that  all  men  were  kept  in  horrible  fear. 

Wherefore  the  Romans,  drawing  him  out  of  the  river  (63) 
Tiber,  in  derision  carried  him  down  to  Vienna,  and  sunk 
him  in  the  river  Rhone.  For  Vienna  is  called,  as  it  were 
Via  Gehennae,^  the  way  of  Gehenna,  because  it  was  then  a 
place  of  cursing.  But  there  evil  spirits  were  present,  work- 
ing the  same  things  in  the  same  place.*    These  men,  there- 

*This  incident  is  modelled  on  fers  to  in  his  song,  Gen.  iv.23,  24. 
the  story  of  the  death  of  Cain,  ^Strange  error,  to. make  a  Re- 
told by  the  Rabbins.  See  Book  man  emperor  especially  repro- 
of Yascher,  Midrash  Jalkut,  Pa-  bate  suicide.  It  is  well  known 
laea  Historica,  etc.  Lamech  was  that  the  Romans  approved  of  it 
a  hunter,  but  became  blind  in  his  under  many  circumstances,  and 
old  age,  and  was  led  about  by  that  their  laws  practically  as- 
his  son  Tubal  Cain,  who  di-  signed  a  reward  to  the  families 
rected  him  where  to  aim  at  ob-  of  those  who,  under  certain  cir- 
jects.  The  latter,  seeing  the  cumstances,  made  away  with 
wandering    Cain   at   a    distance,  themselves. 

and  supposing  from  the  horn  he  ^Of   course   the   etymology   is 

had  on   his   forehead    (this  was  absurd. 

the  mark  of  Cain),  that  he  was  *The  legend  of  Pilate's  stay  at 

a  gazelle,  directed  his  father  to  Vienna    and    death    there    was 

shoot;  he  discharged  an  arrow,  greatly  expanded  in  the  Middle 

and  slew  Cain.     When  Lamech  Ages.     It   had   at   least   this  to 

ascertained    that    he    had   killed  rest   on,   that   he   probably   was 

Cain,   he   struck   his   hands   to-  banished  to  that  city.     The  leg- 

gether,    and    in    so    doing   acci-  end    may   be    found    in    Migne, 

dentally  killed  Tubal  Cain.   This  Legendes,  col.  1092  seq.    It  tells 

is  supposed  to  be  what  he  re-  at  great  length  how  he  was  con- 


504        THE  AVENGING  OF  THE  SAVIOUR 

fore,  not  enduring  such  a  visitation  of  demons,  removed 
from  themselves  that  vessel  of  malediction,  and  sent  him  to 
be  buried  in  the  territory  of  Losania.^  And  they,  seeing 
that  they  were  troubled  by  the  aforesaid  visitations,  re- 
moved him  from  themselves,  and  sunk  him  in  a  certain  pit 
surrounded  by  mountains,  where  to  this  day,  according  to 
the  account  of  some,  certain  diabolical  machinations  are 
said  to  bubble  up.^ 

(60)  But  they  wrapped  up  Annas  in  the  skin  of  an  ox.  And 
the  hide  becoming  dried  by  the  sun,  and  Annas  being 
squeezed  in  it,  his  bowels  came  out  of  his  mouth,  and  forci- 
bly ended  his  wretched  life.^  And  all  the  rest  of  the  Jews 
given  up,  Caesar  gave  over  to  death,  and  they  killed  them 
with  swords.  And  Philip,*  the  associate  of  Archelaus, 
Caesar  commanded  to  be  impaled. 

(64)  And  the  son  of  Archelaus  allied  himself  with  the  other 
kings  who  were  under  him,  and  they  took  counsel  among 
themselves,  and  went  into  Jerusalem,  with  their  chief  men 
who  were  in  their  counsel,  and  stood  in  the  same  place 
seven  years.^     And  Titus  and  Vespasian  took  counsel  to 

fined  in  a  tower  there,  and  the  richer   adornment    of   the    story 

tower  fell  into  the  Rhone.     Ti-  declares  that  the  devil  takes  the 

tus,  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  and  body   from  the   water  on   Good 

others  told  these  particulars  to  Fridays,  and  sets  it  on  a  throne, 

the     Emperor.      Other    versions  where  it  goes  through  the  ges- 

likewise  transpose  this  legend  to  ture  of  washing  its  hands.     The 

Switzerland.  probability  is  that  the  mountain 

'Losonium     was     the     Roman  referred    to    was    called    Pilatus 

name     of     Lausanne,     but     this  from  its  appearance,  before  the 

probably    is     intended    for    the  legend  was  ever  attached  to  it. 

Canton  of  Lucerne,  although  its  'This      legend      is      probably 

Latin  name  was  Luceria.  adapted  from  the  foregoing  one 

*The    legend    regarding    Mons  regarding  Pilate's  body.     Annas 

Pilatus  on  the  lake  of  Lucerne,  is  known  to  have  lived  to  a  good 

to  which  the  above  refers,  is  well  old  age. 

known.     According  to  some  ac-  ^Philip   IL   died  at   Bethsaida, 

counts,  Pilate  cast  himself  from  a.  d.  34. 

the  mountain  into  the  lake  or  a  "It   is   to   be    noted    here   that 

little  tarn  on  the  mountain,  but  most    of    the    particulars    which 

the  place  where  the  water  bub-  follow  are  distorted  versions  of 

bles  up  is  still  shown.     A  still  the  accounts  given  by  Josephus. 


THE  TAKING  OF  JERUSALEM  505 

surround  their  city.  And  they  did  so.  And  the  seven 
years  being  fulfilled,  there  was  a  very  sore  famine,  and  for 
want  of  bread  they  began  to  eat  earth. 

Then  all  the  soldiers  who  were  of  the  four  kings  took  (64) 
counsel  among  themselves,  and  said,  "Now  we  kre  sure  to 
die;  what  will  God  do  to  us?  or  of  what  good  is  our  life  to 
us?  because  the  Romans  have  come  to  take  away  our  place 
and  nation?^  It  is  better  for  us  to  kill  each  other,  than  that 
the  Romans  should  say  that  they  have  slain  us  and  gained 
the  victory  over  us."  And  they  drew  their  swords  and 
smote  themselves,  and  died,  to  the  number  of  twelve 
thousand  of  them. 

Then  there  was  a  great  stench  in  the  city  from  the  corpses  (64) 
of  those  dead  men.  And  their  kings  feared  with  a  very 
great  fear,  even  unto  death ;  and  they  could  not  bear  the 
stench  of  them,  nor  bury  them,  nor  throw  them  forth  out  of 
the  city.  And  they  said  to  each  other,  "What  shall  we  do  ? 
We  indeed  gave  up  Christ  to  death,  and  now  we  are  given 
up  to  death  ourselves.  Let  us  bow  our  heads,  and  give  up 
the  keys  of  the  city  to  the  Romans,  because  God  hath  al- 
ready given  us  up  to  death."  And  immediately  they  went 
up  upon  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  all  cried  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  "Titus  and  Vespasian,  take  the  keys  of  the 
city,  which  have  been  given  to  you  by  Messiah,  who  is 
called  Christ." 

Then  they  gave  themselves  up  into  the  hands  of  Titus  (64) 
and  Vespasian,  and  said,  "Judge  us,  seeing  that  we  ought 
to  die,  because  we  judged  Christ ;  and  he  was  given  up  with- 
out cause."  Titus  and  Vespasian  seized  them ;  and  some 
they  stoned,  and  some  they  hanged  on  a  tree,  feet  up  and 
head  down,  and  struck  them  through  with  lances ;  and 
others  they  gave  up  to  be  sold,  and  others  they  divided 
among  themselves.  And  having  done  so,  they  seized  all 
the  lands  of  Judaea  and  Jerusalem.  And  Vespasian  after- 
wards said,  "What  shall  we  do  about  those  who  shall  re- 

I  shall  not  further  note  them,  absurdity  of  the  setting  given  to 
but  once  for  all  remark  on  the      his  facts. 

'Ci.  John  xi.48. 


5o6        THE  AVENGING  OF  THE  SAVIOUR 

main?"  Titus  answered,  "They  hanged  our  Lord  on  a 
green  tree/  and  struck  him  with  a  lance;  now  let  us  hang 
them  on  a  dry  tree,  and  pierce  their  bodies  through  and 
through  with  the  lance."  And  they  did  so.  And  Ves- 
pasian said,  "What  about  those  who  are  left?"  Titus 
answered,  "They  seized  the  tunic  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  of  it  made  four  parts ;  now  let  us  seize  them,  and  divide 
them  into  four  parts,^ — to  thee  one,  to  me  one,  to  thy  men 
another,  and  to  my  servants  the  fourth  part."  And  they 
did  so.  And  Vespasian  said,  "But  what  shall  we  do  about 
those  who  are  left?"  Titus  answered  him,  "The  Jews  sold 
our  Lord  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver ;  now  let  us  sell  thirty  of 
them  for  one  piece  of  silver."  And  they  did  so. 
(60)  And  all  who  believed  in  Christ  the  true  God,  our  Saviour, 
gave  glory  and  majesty  to  Him.  Because  glory  is  becom- 
ing to  Him,  and  honour  and  adoration,  together  with  His 
[Father  without  beginning,  and  His  Spirit  of  the  same  sub- 
stance, now,  and  always,  and  unto  the  ages.     Amen  !^ 

*Cf.  Luke  xxiii.31.  the  end  of  (60).     Such  composi- 

'Ci.  John  xix.23.  tions   are   found   at   the   end   of 

'I  add  the  doxology  found  at      most  apocryphal  documents. 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS 


GENESIS. 

PAGE. 

i-i 259 

i.i-io 415 

i.io 414 

i.ii   414 

i.26 424 

Ji.6 4«5 

"•7   91 

ii.io-14  426 

ii.i4 426 

ii.i6,   17 259 

"i-i-3    259 

iii.6   186 

"i.7.  21 260 

i»-iS 389 

iii.i6   260 

iii.19 Ill,  246 

iv.23,  24 503 

V.3    273 

v.S  186 

xvii.i6   7 

xvii.i7   8 

xviii.3   9 

xix.ii    144 

xix.17    248 

xxi.4   60 

xxi.8    16 

xx»-i4 273 

xxiii.17   213 

xxiv.is   34 

XXV.23 SO 

1.26    169 

EXODUS. 

iii.2 7 

vii.10-14   326 

vii.ii 325 

xiii.2    61 

xiv.27  seq 91 

XV.25   106 

xvi.15 21 

xxiii.20,  21 451 

xxiii.26    3 

xxiv.iS   4 

xxv.4    32 

XXV.  10 464 

xxviii.33-3S   28 


PAGE. 

xxviii.36,  38 II 

xxix.25,  26 28 

xxxi.i8 183 

xxxiii.23    294 

xxxiv.28 4 

X.2 26s 

LEVITICUS. 

xii.4  60 

xii.5    60 

xii.8   61 

xiii g8 

xiii.2   seq 133 

xiii.30  seq... 133 

xxi.17  seq 191 

xxiv.  10-16 324 

XXV 451 

NUMBERS. 

V 46 

V.11-31    45 

vii.89    28 

xvi.31-33 31 

xvii.8    31 

xxi.17    85 

xxiv.  16     275 

xxiv.  1 7   64 

xxvii.2i    28 

XXX.2 26 

DEUTERONOMY. 

iv.2 245 

vii.14   3 

ix.9 4 

ix.io    183 

xiii.13    418 

XV.  1 1 57 

xvii.6   450 

xviii.ii     123 

xviii.is,    19 243 

xix.is    450 

xxi.6   332 

xxi.23    451 

xxiii.i8    264 

xxiii.2l 26 

XXV.3    324 

xxvii.is    452 

xxviii,26    495 

(507) 


rAGE. 

xxxii.io    168 

xxxiv.s,    6 450 

xxxiv,35 398 

JOSHUA. 

iii.i6 121 

vii.19,  20 446 

XV.19    119 

xxi.45    452 

JUDGES, 
xiii • 

xiii.4.  7 II 

xiii. 16   g 

xiii.2o    9 

I  SAMUEL. 

i-" 7 

i.2  seq 2 

>-6,   7 3 

ii.i-io    16 

"•7    IS 

"•8 IS 

v.3    89 

xii.22    452 

xvii.44   398 

xxii.23    23 

II    SAMUEL. 

vJ-6 57 

xxJii.is  53 

xxiv.i6,  17 359 

I    KINGS. 

"•S,  7,  33 441 

v.io    98 

viii.4    172 

viii.56    452 

viii.57,  S8 452 

ix.ii    113 

x.ii,  12 113 

xiii. 22   398 

xiv.ii 398 

xvi.4    398 

xvii.9    seq 293 

xvii.17    seq 12^ 

xix.5    21 

xix.8    4 

xxi.24 398 


So8 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


II    KINGS. 

PAGE. 

ii.l   seq 443 

ii.8    t2i 

ii.ii    187 

ii.2i    106 

V.14    121,  484 

v.is    "9 

.vi.i8   144 

xxiii.  13 441 

I  CHRONICLES. 

xix.23   213 

xxiii.2S    452 

xxiv 190 

II  CHRONICLES. 
xxiv.20-22 14.  81 


EZRA. 


ii.62 . 


190 


NEHEMIAH. 

vii.64 190 

ESTHER. 

iii.7 122 

V.3    475 

viii.i2   122 


JOB. 


i.8. 
iii. 


V.2    . 

X.3    . 

X.8   . 
a.  22 

xi.is 


174 

269 

273 

391 

383 

46 

xvii.ii    249 

xvii.i6    384 

xix.29    269 

xxxvi.i6    13 

xxxviii.i7 236,  384 

PSALMS. 


314 

448 

428 

26s 

43 

254 

131 

ix.13    384 

xvii.8    168 

xix.9    494 


1.2  . . 
i.S  •• 
ii.7  .. 
ii.19  . 
iv.4  . 
vii.15. 


PAGE. 

xxii.9    55 

xxii.i2,  16 314 

xxiv.7    376 

xxiv.8   386 

xxvii.s    13 

xxvii.io 20 

xxviii.8,    10 376 

XXX.1-5    391 

xxxiii.9    144 

XXXV.  1 7    171 

xxxvi.7    445 

xlv.2    206 

xlviii.6,  7 181 

xlviii.7    78 

xlviii.  14    393 

lis     174 

lvii.6    131 

lviii.6    123 

lxii.i2    254 

lxv.9 161,   415 

lxvi.i2    13 

lxviii.6    384 

lxviii.i8..  .385,  389,  447 

lxxii.8    35 

Ixxii.  10,    15 65 

Ixxii. II,    17 452 

lxxxii.6,   7 376 

lxxxiv.6    85 

Ixxxiv.  10    267 

lxxxvi.8    452 

Ixxxviii.s    388 

XC.14,    15 13 

XCV.9,    10 244 

xcviii.i,  2 392 

cii.i9,   20 386 

civ.  15    209 

cvii.io,   14 377 

cvii.is-i7    385 

cvii.i6    384 

cix.28    254 

cx.i    163 

cxiii 18 

cxvi.i6    176 

cxviii.i2   235 

cxviii.23    451 

cxviii.26 317,  392 

cxix.73    391 

cxix.  105    311 

cxx.i    414 

cxx.-cxxxiv 17 

cxlvi.6    259 

cxlvii.5    394 

cxlviii.7    ,.,,,,.,..     83 


PROVERBS. 

PAGE. 

iii.24 252 

V.22      258 

XXVi.27 131 

ECCLESIASTES. 

iv.2i 251 

V.4,   5 26 

v.6   273 

X.8    131 

X.I  I    123 

xii.6 172 

SONG  OF  SOLOMON, 
OR  CANTICLES. 

1.7 209 

vii.8    85 

ISAIAH. 

i-3 59.  121 

iv.i,    2 378 

vi.2    IS 

vi.io    223 

ix.2 54,  377 

xi. I,   2 29 

xi.4   262 

xi.6-9    84 

xi.io    68 

xiv.  12-14   424 

xix.i S3,  89 

xxv.8    386 

xxvi.19    38s 

xxxiii.i6 SI 

xxxiii.22 4S2 

XXXV.6   8s 

xxxviii.io 384 

xl.io    aS4 

xliii.i8    247 

Ixviii.22    494 

li-9    491 

lii.14   205 

liii.i    223 

liii.2   68 

liii.4 248 

lvii.19  248 

lvii.2i    494 

lx.i-6   65 

lx.13    339 

lxi.i-3   452 

lxii.2    4SI 

Ixii.ii   254 

lxv.17    263 

Ixv.25    ••ftt.tff.  84 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


509 


JEREMIAH. 


vm.17. . . 
ix.23,  24. 
x.ii  .... 
xiii.23  . . 
xiv.s  ... 
xvii.4  . . . 
xxi.19  ... 
xxii.29  .  . 
xxxi.  1 5  . 
xlix.i,   3. 


PAGE. 

.  123 

.  267 

.  451 

..  115 

.  258 

.  452 

,.  40 

•  274 

.  78 

. .  441 


LAMENTATIONS. 


EZEKIEL. 


i.iS  seq. 
iii.3  ... 
xvi.S2    . 

xviii.24 
xviii.30 


172 


421 
277 
263 
304 
248 


xxi.i2  40 

xxxiii.ii    247 

xxxiii.20    248 

xxxvi.ii    247 


DANIEL. 


68 
484 
131 


11.2 

iii.  19-27    

iii.23    

tv.33-37    484 

vi.io 172 

vi.i6  seq 121 

vii.io   171 

X.18    86 

X.21    380 

xii.3    414 


HOSEA. 


1X.14.. 
xi.i  .. 
xiii.14 . 


S 

90 

38s 


JOEL. 


11.10 470 

iii.iS    470 


JONAH. 


383 


MICAH. 

1.7 264 

V.2 73,  488 

vii.i8-20   393 


HABAKKUK. 

PAGE. 

iii. 2 59 

iii.13 392 

ZECHARIAH. 

ii.8 168 

xiv.9    452 

MALACHL 

iii.i T2,  451 

iv.2 66,   377 

II    (IV)   ESDRAS. 
xiv.44-47 463 

TOBIT. 

i.17,    18 301 

ii.io    5 

iv.is    254 

xii.i2,   15 6 

WISDOM    OF    SOLO- 
MON. 
xxvii.29 131 

ECCLESIASTICUS. 

xxiv.15 155 

xliv.  16    450 

li.S    383 

BARUCH. 
iii.38 244 

HISTORY  OF   SU- 
SANNA. 
i-4 I 

II  MACCABEES, 
XV.37 122 

MATTHEW. 

i.i6 175 

i.19 43 

i.20    175 

1.20,   21 43 

i.2i,   23 487 

1.24,   25 43 

ii.i-i2    64 

ii.3    299 

ii.8    73 

ii.il    330 

ii.14 82 

ii.is    90 

ii.i6    493 

iii.i    451 

iii.3    379 

iii.4 ,,  .110,  III 


PAGE. 

iii.9    119 

iii.  12    264 

iii.14   91 

iii.15   223 

iv.2    4 

iv.2, 3    287 

iv.3    226 

iv.9    290 

iv.is    378 

iv.i6 377 

iv.24 220 

v.6    244 

V.9    252 

v.io-12    250 

V.14 2S4 

V.15 252 

V.16 245 

V.17 115,  243.  259 

v.22 255 

V.22-2S      254 

V.23,    24 252 

V.24 25s 

V.28 254,   261 

V.35    377 

v.38-42    2S4 

vi.io 252,   29s 

vi.14.    IS 357 

vi.19,     20 257 

vi.23    252 

vi.27    Ill 

vi.28    258 

vi.33 243,   251 

vi.34 246 

vii.i,   2 253 

vii.6    249 

vii.8    256 

vii.  12    254 

vii.is    261 

vii. 16 291,   312 

vii.23    244 

vii.24,    25 254 

viii.2    327 

viii.4 130 

viii.s  seq 328 

viii.8 209 

viii.ii,    12 352 

viii.17 248 

viii.20 311 

viii.28 90 

viii.29 13s 

ix.2    327 

ix.i2 247,  248 

ix.i3 ,....243,  247 


5IO 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


PAGE. 

ix.20  seq....57,  90,  327 

ix.20-22    214 

ix.23   183 

ix.30 130 

ix.32 96 

ix.33 235 

X.3    132 

X.4    124 

x.io    246 

X.I6,  28 251 

X.2S      246 

X.29  141 

X.3S,  36 243 

X.37    261 

X.39    248 

X.42    267 

xi.s 158,  222 

xi.io    451 

xi.is 244 

xi.16-19    258 

xi.17    311 

xi.20   263 

xi.25-27    259 

xi.28    391 

xi.29 246 

xii.i    93 

xii.i    seq 141 

xii.io-i3 143.  213 

xii.14-16 328 

xii.i6    130 

xii.18    209 

xii.22    96 

xii.31,  32 261 

xii.36 253,   267 

xii.42    265 

xii.so    249 

xiii.8   184 

xiii.ii. . .  .295,   311,  427 

xiii.i2 251,  253 

xiii.17   262 

xiii.39   250 

xiii.41    264 

xiii.55    167 

xiii.57 152,  247 

xiv.8-ii    215 

xiv.is    225 

xiv.19 168 

xiv.28-31    252 

xiv.36 90 

XV.30    22s 

XV.32    225 

XV.33     225 

XV.36     ,.,,,,, 168 


PAGE. 

xvi.  16    209 

xvi.i8 384 

xvi.19 434 

xvi.22    95 

xvi. 25    248 

xvii.i    252 

xvii. I,   2 294 

xvii.2    405 

xvii.  1 7    244 

xvii.20   295 

xvii.26   257 

xviii.5    256 

xviii.7 253,   264 

xviii.io  171 

xviii.i6 450 

xviii.18   434 

xviii.20 244,  255 

xviii.2i,  22 (2)   256 

xviii.28  seq 24s 

xix.i2   259 

xix.  16-24    257 

xix.28    352 

xix.30    247 

xx.3    246 

XX.  13    247 

XX.  1 6    247 

XX.28    245 

XX.29    seq 327 

xxi.8,   9 317 

xxii.30    260 

xxii. 41-46   164 

xxii.43    163 

xxiii.3 24s,   265 

xxiii.9    249 

xxiii.14    257 

xxiii.25    80 

xxiii.26    345 

xxiii.35    14 

xxiii.37    359 

xxiii.38    263 

xxiv.3    266 

xxiv.  II,  24 262 

xxiv.li-24 261 

xxiv.29   358 

xxiv.34   264 

xxiv.35    249 

xxiv.43   262 

xxiv.46   24s 

XXV.  14-30   258 

XXV.2I  251 

XXV.29  251 

XXV.34,  41 262 

XXV.40 255 


PAGE. 

XXV.46    262 

xxvi.s   305 

xxvi.6 304,  307 

xxvi.24   272 

xxvi.26   168 

xxvi.29 309 

xxvi.30 310 

xxvi.31 308 

xxvi.35 357 

xxvi.3g,  42 314 

xxvi.47   314 

xxvi.53 411 

xxvi.6 1 323 

xxvii.3-5    343 

xxvii.4,   5 244 

xxvii.6-io    344 

xxvii.13,    14 320 

xxvii.15   329 

xxvii.is-i8,  21-23  •  • 

329.  330 

xxvii.19   319 

xxvii.24..  .320,  332,   400 

xxvii.24,   25 398 

xxvii.25    332 

xxvii.26 337,  338 

xxvii.29   338 

xxvii.32   345 

xxvii.33   348 

xxvii.34   382 

xxvii.35    349 

xxvii.46   358 

xxvii.51    359 

xxvii.52 235,   359 

xxvii.52,   S3... -373.   453 

xxvii.53    359 

xxvii.54 360 

xxvii.56   82 

xxvii.57    364 

xxvii.59    186 

xxvii.6o   370 

xxvii.63    304 

xxviii.  1    401 

xxviii.2    407 

xxviii.2,   3 400 

xxviii.3    7 

xxviii.3,   4 407 

xxviii.3,  S>  6 401 

xxviii. 5-7    408 

xxviii.7 397,   406 

xxviii.8    402 

xxviii.i2,    13 408 

xxviii.13    471 

xxviii.14,    I5>  •••!••   409 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS 


PAGE. 

xxviii.i6    440 

xxviii.  16-18    433 

xxviii.iS    29s 

MARK. 

1.4 379 

L6    Ill 

i.17   199 

i.23   seq 328 

1.40-45 327 

i.S2    IS 

i.53   IS 

ii.23    93 

iii.6-8    328 

iii.i7     199 

iii.18 124,  132 

iii.29 261,  428 

iiJ.3S     249 

iv.8    184 

iv.ii,  34 249 

iv.22-42    270 

iv.25    251 

iv.41    270 

v.2-5    96 

V.7 96,  135 

V.13    468 

\,22     450 

V.25     214 

V.25  seq 90,  327 

V.31    23s 

V.38    183 

vi.3 113.  211 

vi.4    247 

vi.13    380 

vi.17    298 

vi.2i   298 

vi.23 47S 

vi.24-28    21S 

vi.3S   225 

vi.56    90 

vii.2l    260 

vii.3S    96 

viii.3S    248 

ix.2    294 

ix.3 405.  457 

ix.19 244 

ix.49^ 244 

X.17-2S    257 

X.31    247 

x.46-52    327 

xi.13    seq 143 

xii.34 244,  250 

xii.40    257 


PAGE, 

xiii.3    266 

Xiii.31      249 

Xiii.37     262 

xiv.5   60 

xiv.8 368 

xiv.2i   272 

xiv.2S 309 

xiv.34 381 

xiv.36   234 

xiv.50 323 

xiv.56,  59 300 

xjv.64  323 

xiv.66-72   290 

xv.is 337,  338 

XV.21 198,  345,  460 

XV.22    348 

XV.38    358 

XV.40    82 

XV.42    364 

XV.46 186,  368 

xvi.1-3    401 

xvi.2    368 

xvi.4 370,  399 

xvi.s    400 

xvi.s,   6 401 

xvi.6,  7 408 

xvi.7 397,  406,  471 

xvi.7,  14,   19 440 

xvi.9-11    402 

xvi.14   403 

xvi.i5-i8    441 

xvi.i6    379 

xvi.19 439 

LUKE. 

i-3 29s 

i-5 i3i  190 

i.ii,  15 8 

i.13    7 

i.26    39 

1.26-38    34 

i.28    34 

i-39,    40 38 

i.42    165 

i.48 492 

i-57.  59-66 40 

i.s8  II 

i.78   392 

i-79 377 

i.8o 47 

ii.i-S    48 

ii.2    298 

ii.4   51 


5" 

PAGE. 

"•9    7 

ii.14    471 

ii.2 1    60 

ii.23    61 

ii.25-32   81 

ii.25-38   61 

ii.26    250 

ii.28    seq 373 

"•28-35     447 

ii.29-32     61 

ii.30-32    378 

ii.34 (2)   451 

ii-35    371 

ii.36-38   62 

ii-37    19 

ii-4i-44   39 

ii.41-47    162 

11.48-52 165 

ii.51 117,   168 

iii.l    298 

iii.l,  2 194 

iii.  14    246 

iii.i6 243,  244,  248 

iii.22    379 

iii.23 1,   195 

iv.7    290 

iv.i6-2o 192 

iv.i6-22 161 

iv.24 246 

iv.32    226 

iv.33    seq 328 

v.s    225 

v.ii    261 

V.31    247 

vi.i    93 

vi.4    244 

vi.13    (2)  245 

vi.14    132 

Vi.15        o 124 

vi.27-30 254 

vi.28 254 

vi.31   254 

vi.36-38   253 

vi.43,   44 312 

vi.44    291 

vii.6 209,  222 

vii.ii  seq 129,  231 

vii.3i-34   258 

vii.32    311 

vii.36    260 

vii.37.  38 60 

vii.47    253 

viii.io  ..t.t 427 


512 

PAGE. 

viii.iS 251 

viii.2i 249 

viii.25    140 

viu.27,  28 96 

viii.28  135 

viii.33   468 

viii.41 450 

viii.4i-so   270 

viii.43   214 

viii.43  seq 90,  327 

ix.i6    168 

ix.28 255 

ix.28,  29 294 

ix.41   244 

Jx.44 29s 

ix.s6    IIS 

X.7    246 

X.12    263 

X.18    291 

X.19    296 

X.21    259 

X.23    102 

X.24    262 

X.42    265 

xi.2 (2)  252 

xi.io    256 

xi.2 1,   22 390 

xi.27 102,  484 

xi.31    265 

xi.35 252 

xi.49 (2)  258 

xii.io 261,  248 

xii.25    Ill 

xii.3i    251 

xii.33    257 

xii.39    262 

xii.49    244 

xii.S3    243 

xiii. II    327 

xiii.27   244 

xiii.29 264 

xiii.30 247 

xiii. 3 1 296 

xiii.as 263 

xiv.5    246 

xiv.8   seq 208 

xiv.8-io    245 

xiv.26    261 

xiv.3i,  32 246 

XV.  13,  30 258 

xvi.8    494 

xvi.9,   12 249 

xvi.io (2)  251 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS 

PAGE. 
Xvi.25     247 

xvii.i 253,   264 

xvii.3,  4 256 

xvii.4   256 

xvii.i2  seq 327 

xvii.32,   33 248 

xviii.i     251 

xviii.4    II 

xviii.i 3     289 

xviii.18-25    257 

xviii.29,  30 261 

xviii.35    327 

xix.8-io   247 

xix.9    223 

xix.16-19    258 

xix.26   251 

xix.36    122 

xix.41 206 

xix.43 264 

XX.47    257 

xxi.33    249 

xxii.3    136 

xxii.is    308 

xxii.27    208 

xxii.29,    30 295 

xxii.31,  32 296 

xxii.34   309 

xxii.38    246 

xxii.42    314 

xxii.4S    313 

xxii.47 307,   314 

xxii.53    180 

xxiii.4   304 

xxiii.6-ii     331 

xxiii.i2    300 

xxiii.17    329 

xxiii.25   338 

xxiii.27   345 

xxiii.3i 506 

xxiii.33   350 

xxiii.34 350,    356 

xxiii.35   348 

xxiii.3S-37    350 

xxiii.39   351 

xxiii.42,    43 391 

xxiii.43 352,  356 

xxiii.44 358 

xxiii.46 358 

xxiii.48 360 

xxiii.49 362 

xxiii.so 364 

xxiii.53 186 

xxiv.i    401 


PAGE. 

xxiv.2-8   401 

xxiv.4 7,  399 

xxiv.9    402 

xxiv.  10    303 

xxiv.i2    402 

xxiv.  18 130 

xxiv.27 324 

xxiv.27,  44 243 

xxiv.37    402 

xxiv.38 402 

xxiv.39,  40 402 

xxiv.47 267 

xxiv.49 267 

xxiv.so 439 

xxiv.50,  51 440 

JOHN. 

i 196 

i.i    201 

ii-3    153 

i.io    244 

i-29-34 196 

1-29-36    379 

ii.i   seq 328 

ji.i-ii 208' 

ii.6    209 

ii-ii    153 

ii-i3    195 

ii.i6    265 

iii9 303.  372 

ii.20 304,  323 

iii.i    32s 

iii.3,  4 280 

iii.3,   S 260 

iii.5    381 

iii.6 8,  252 

iii.i3    450 

iii.17    115 

iii.i8 379 

iv.34    154 

iv.42   209 

iv.44 247 

iv.47    seq 328 

V.2,    10 326 

V.16    236 

V.I 7    141 

V.21    119 

V.36    223 

V.36,    37 265 

V.44     245 

V.46    243 

vi.s    225 

vi.ii    168 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


513 


PAGE. 

vi.is (2)    295 

Vi.31     21 

vi.39 265 

Vi.41     222 

Vi.63     119 

Vi.70 24s,  434 

Vi.71      302 

vii.i2 222,  299 

vii.15     151 

vii.19,  20 241 

vii.27    447 

vii.50    325 

vii.S2    326 

viii.6   131 

viii.6,    8 274 

viii.7 274 

viii.23 244 

viii.46 127 

viii.S2-58 212 

viii.56-58    154 

viii.57 153 

viii.58 145,  152 

viii.S9    236 

ix.i    327 

ix.2,  3 265 

ix.3    176 

ix.4   223 

ix.i7-25    448 

ix.39    223 

X.7    311 

x.p    243 

x.ii  seq 115 

X.31    236 

xi.i,  3,  6,  II,  17. . .  231 

xi.i-i6    329 

xi.4   226 

xi.8 232 

xi.9 233 

xi.ii   233 

xi.15,    19 231 

xi.2i    233 

xi.23,   26 234 

xi.25 231,  373 

xi.27 234 

xi.30 233 

xi.38,   39 233 

xi.39 232,   234 

xi.43     234 

xi.44 232,  23s 

xi.45 235 

xi.47 304 

xi.48 505 

xi.49.  SO 30s 


PAGE. 

xi.si   303 

Xi.53     236 

xii.5     60 

xii.6   226 

xii.7   368 

xii.9 235,  236 

xii. 20-22    222 

xii.24 118,  231 

xii. 25    248 

xii.26    245 

xiii.2    382 

xiii.7 233 

xiii.17 245 

xiii.18 245 

xiii.23 244 

xiii.25 200 

xiii.27 136 

xiii.31,  32 226 

xiv.2 249,   311 

xiv.3,  26 312 

xiv.4    311 

xiv.6    323 

xiv.20 (2)   255 

xiv.30 179 

XV. I,  2  seq 312 

XV.26    323 

xvi.i2    273 

xvi.i6 250 

xvi.32 308 

xvi.33 313,   433 

xvii.i    234 

xv)i.4,  5 226 

xvii.i2   383 

xvii.24    23< 

xvii.26   seq 310 

xviii.i    333 

xviii.l-ll    260 

xviii.4   295 

xviii.31 323,  324 

xviii.33  seq 323 

xviii.36 78,   295 

xviii.37  323 

xviii.39 329 

xix.i    337 

xix.7 325 

xix.ii 320,  324 

xix.i2 299 

xix.13 348 

xix.i6 338 

xix.17 348 

xix.19   336 

xix.23 349,  506 

xix.24 349 


PAGX. 
xix.25 130 

xix.2S-27 353,  356 

xix.26-30  353 

xix.28 358 

xix.3i  364 

xix.31  seq 361 

xix.34   362 

xix.38 302,  364 

xix.39 183,  325,  366 

xix.40 186,  368 

xix.41    333 

XX. I (2)  401 

XX.6,  7 40s 

XX.  19 302,  406 

XX.20,  24-28 402 

XX.21-23    439 

XX.22    124 

XX.24    403 

xx.24-28 57 

XX.27 231,  294 

xx.28    176 

XX.29 223,  231 

xxi.i    406 

xxi.2o 200 

xxi.22    252 

xxi.22,  23 270 

xxi.2S    107 

ACTS. 

i.l 29s 

i.2,  12 438 

i.4    246 

j-s  450 

i-8 267,  433 

i-9   434 

i-9.    10 439 

i.io   441 

i.i2   440 

i.i2  seq 440 

i.13   124 

J.i8,  19 344 

i.23    188 

i-25    4^3 

iii.2    7 

iii.6   132 

iii.8 127 

iii.22,  23 243 

iv.6    316 

v.io  502 

V.18   403 

V.24    450 

V.34  seq 32s 

V.38 325 


514 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


PAGE. 

vii 330 

viii.22  493 

ix.i6   250 

ix.36   270 

X.3    5 

X.4    6 

xi.14    223 

xii.7 7,  171 

xii.15    402 

xii.23 494,  495 

xiv.ii    97 

xiv.22 250 

XV.14    452 

xvi.14 2T,  178 

xvi.31    223 

xvii.23    360 

xvii.24   259 

xviii.26  433 

xviii.31   23s 

xix.i2 90,  137 

xix.i6    90 

xx.32   249 

XX.3S (2)    256 

ROMANS. 

i.25 452 

ii.25  244 

iii.8   253 

i«i-i3    439 

V.3   356 

V.12 186 

V.I 5   261 

viii.3   248 

viii.5-8   252 

viii.l4    232 

xi.il    263 

xii.9    253 

xii.17    254 

12.19    398 

xiii.i,  3 246 

xiii.14   250 

xiv.i    258 

xvi.i6   261 

I  CORINTHIANS. 

1.3 170 

1.25 248 

1.31    267 

ii.8   382 

ii.9 262,  429 

iii.9 249,  253 

iJi.iS   267 

iv.i   427 

iv.i,    2 249 


PAGE, 

vi.i7 255 

vii. 7    247 

vii.io    251 

vii.io,   II 260 

vii.14   255 

vii.31 249,  253 

vii.32-40    260 

ix.13    309 

ix.25    250 

X.18 309 

xi.3    413 

xi.19    251 

xi.23   245 

xi.26 309 

xiii.i    155 

xiii.2 427 

xiii.4  seq 253 

xiii.i2   255 

xiii.13     253 

xiv.7    155 

xiv.34,   37 260 

XV.  I    245 

xv.s 402,  403 

XV.6 441,  490 

XV.7 (2)  403 

XV.20    450 

XV.21,   22 186 

XV.27,   28 243 

XV.28 208 

xv.35-38    231 

XV.55    386 

XV.58 22,  258 

xvi.20    261 

II  CORINTHIANS. 

i.6 250 

iii.7 429 

iv.  1 ,  1 5 251 

iv.4  403 

v.1-4  259 

V.4  183 

v.io  267 

'v.2^   247 

vi.is  418 

X.17  267 

xi.2 14,  (2)  260 

xi.24  324 

xii.2 67,  288 

xii.i8 252 

xiii.5-7  251 

xiii.i2  261 

GALATIANS. 
J-9 245 


PAGE. 

ii.i8 244 

ii.20    255 

iii.8    263 

iii.i3    451 

iii.28 (2)    260 

V.16    252 

V.17    252 

vi.8    261 

vi.9    251 

vi.14 243 

EPHESIANS. 

i-4 245 

i.13 261 

i.i8,  19 249 

i.2i    270 

ii.2    403 

ii.14,     16 260 

ii.17   248 

iii.9    382 

iii.i5    249 

iv.4 260 

iv.8 38s 

iv.26 254 

iv.27 250 

iv.28  256 

iv.30 252 

V. II     256 

V.14   248 

V.22,  24 260 

vi.ii,    13 250 

PHILIPPIANS. 

ii.6 196 

ii.9 270 

ii.9,  10 392 

ii.i6 258 

iii.2  248 

iii.i9,  20 257 

iii.20  249 

iv.8  250 

COLOSSIANS. 

i.13 iSo 

i.i6 15 

ii.i4  185 

iii.i,  2 251 

iii.i6  445 

iii.i8  260 

iv.6 277 

I  THESSALONIANS. 

iii.4 250 

iii.5 250,    258 

iv.17 393 


INDEX   OF  TEXTS 


51S 


PAGE. 

V.IS  254 

V.I7 22,    2$0,  2$I 

V.I9 252 

V.2I 249 

V.26 261 

II  THESSALONIANS. 

i'-3 383 

ii.4.  8,  9 262 

iii.8   246 

iii.io Ill,  246 

iii.ii    258 

"i-i3    251 

I   TIMOTHY. 

1.4 xiv,   258 

ii-2 246 

"•4 247 

11.11 168 

iii.6   250 

V.21    24s 

vi.i6   168 

vi.20 xiv,  258 

II  TIMOTHY. 

ii-S 250 

"•6 253 

ii.19 248 

iJ-26 250,  296,  351 

»i-8,  9 32s 

iii.i6    39 

iv.8    250 

Jv.17    171 

TITUS. 

11-5 260 

Jii.!    246 

i»-9 25Z 

HEBREWS. 

i.4 270 

i-S 26s 

"•9    177 

iv.15 168,   248 

V.8  168 

vi.4    261 

vi.6    248 

viii.3,   II,   15,  20...    192 

viii.4   192 

ix.27 169,    186 

x.ii    192 

X.29    261 

X.30    398 

xi-S    450 

xi.34    264 

xii.9,   10 181 

xiii.14 249 


JAMES. 


JUDE. 


1. 1 2 

i.i2,  13. 
i.13    ... 

i.17    

1.23    . . . , 

i.25    

ii.7    

ii.ii  ... 
iii.ii  ... 
iv.5,  6.. 
iv.6  . . . , 
iv.7    . . . . 

V.7    

V.13  ... 
V.14.  15- 
V.20    . . . 


I  PETER. 

J-4 

J-9     

i.io   

i.I0-I2    

i.i2 , 262, 

113    

»-i3.   14 

ii.23   

iii.i,   S 

iii.9    

iv.6    

iv.8    

V.4 

v.6  

v.8 

v.8,  9 


,171, 


250 

2SI 

294 
247 

255 
245 
245 
244 
254 
252 
252 
250 
253 
445 
380 
253 


249 
259 
492 

68 
382 
494 
246 
254 
260 
254 
399 
253 
250 

45 
250 
250 


PAGE. 
.    261 


II  PETER. 


i.ii. , 
ii.l  . . 
ii.2    . 
ii.io 
ii.  14 
ii.17 
iii.9. . 


.(2) 


I  JOHN. 


1-7 

ii.17  ..' 
ii.i8    .., 

iii.8 

iii.8,  10  . 
iii.18  .. 
iv.3  ... 
v.6 


,140, 


264 
261 
433 
432 
432 
431 
247 


233 
249 
393 
179 
287 
245 
393 
428 


**     432 

REVELATION. 
1.8 68,   27s 

»-io 412 

i-i6 429 

»-i7 86 

'•18 384,  388 

"•8    388 

ii.io (2)  250 

Ji.i7 270,  27s 

"•25    253 

iJi-7    246 

"i'li 250,  253 

iv.4 15,  275 

iv.6    

iv.8    

V.  I   

V.5 

vi.io    

vii.i    

vii.5-9    

viii.3,  4 

ix.i   

Jx.11    181 

X.9,    10 277 

^'•3-12 269,  393 

xi.8    263 

xii.  I    66 

xii-5    43 

xii.7-9    424 

xii.9 264,  290 

xiii.18   418 

xiv.2    384 

xvi.5 421 

xvi.is    263 

xix.6   35 

xix.io 9 

xix.i2,    16 271 

xix.15    43 

xx.i 384,  387 

XX.2 264,    418 


27s 
15 

373 
68 
358 
421 
455 
6 
384 


XX.2,    3. 


389 

XX.2,    3,    4,    7 184 

XX.  12      185 

xxi.s    247 

xxi.6    68 

xxi.ii    251 

xxii.2    263 

xxii.i2 172,  254 

xxii.13    68 

xxii.  16    68 

xxii.i8,  19 24s,  268 


GENERAL  INDEX 


The  Index  covers  the  notes  in  general,  as  well  as  the  text,  but  does  not  ex- 
tend to  the  Introduction.  Names  of  authors  or  documents  referred  to  are 
printed  in  italics.  These  do  not  in  general  include  titles  listed  in  Sections  II 
and  III  of  the  Introduction,  or  modern  authors. 


A,  Alpha,  or  Aleph,  allegorically  inter- 
preted, 155,  156. 

Aaron,  30. 

Abaddon  takes  Joseph's  soul,  181. 

Abdias,  198,  257,  325,  403. 

Abel,  23,  340. 

Abgar  king  of  Edessa,  history  of,  220; 
sends  letter  to  Christ,  221-223;  re- 
ceives letter  and  portrait  and  is 
healed,  224;  writes  to  Tiberius,  472; 
writes  again,  482. 

Abiathar,  priest,  23. 

Abib,  month,  173. 

Abigea,   33. 

Abraham,  legend  about,  240;  converses 
in  Hades,  378. 

Abraham,  Testament  of,  170,  171,  179, 
180,  181,  182. 

Abraxas  religion,  the,  88,  436. 

Abyss,  depth  of  the,  292. 

Achar,  2. 

Acherusian  lake,  431. 

Adam,  sings  praise  to  God,  41 ;  buried 
at  centre  of  earth,  64;  brought  death 
into  the  world,  187;  meets  Lazarus 
in  Gehenna,  236;  created  androgy- 
nous, 288;  his  skull  found  on  Cal- 
vary, 348;  testifies  in  Hades,  379; 
Christ  delivers  from  Hades,  391, 
393;  his  creation,  424. 

Adas,  teacher.  See  Phinees,  Haggai. 
and  Adas. 

Adornment  of  person  eschewed  by 
Mary,  20. 

Adrichomius,   106,   107,   19s,  338,  344. 

Advent  of  Christ,  time  of,  according 
to   the   Jewish    books,    464-466. 

Aeons,  the,  180,  195. 

Aesculapius,  315. 

Agathangelus,  245,  252,  261,  262. 

Agrapha,  proper,  195,  196,  201,  223, 
242-265,  308-310,  312,  313,  370,  401. 
402,403,433,434,437,439;    Moham- 


medan Agrapha,  207,  210,  227,  278- 
285 ;  apocryphal  Agrapha,  see  chaps. 
VII-XVIII,  XX-XXVI,  XXVIII- 
XXXIII,  in  general. 

Ahasuerus.     See   Wandering  Jew. 

Albanus  and  Nerva,  consulship  of,  194. 

Alberttis  Magnus,  23,  39 

Albius  decapitates  Pilate,  501. 

Alexander,  198,  199,  316,  345. 

Alexander,  era  of,  48. 

Almsgiving,  Christ  teaches  concerning, 
256. 

Alphaeus,  Christ  dwells  in  house  of, 
in    Egypt,    104. 

Ambrose,  26,  71,  98,  169,  214, 

Amenti,  179,  235. 

Amphilochius,  248. 

Ananias,  Abgar's  courier,  222,  223. 

Anastasius  Sinaita,  254,  256,  257. 

Andrew,  his  origin,  etc.,  198,  199;  ref. 
to,  201;  his  baptism,  204;  at  the  res- 
urrection, 402. 

Andynaeus,  month,  195. 

Angel,  a,  appears  to  Anna,  6;  to 
Joachim,  7,  10;  Anna's  vision  of  a, 
11;  appears  to  Zacharias,  14,  28,  33; 
to  Mary  and  the  virgins,  32;  to 
Mary,  35,  50;  virgins  say  that  a 
made  Mary  pregnant,  42 ;  appears  to 
Salome,  57;  to  the  Magi,  75;  stands 
upon  the  palm  tree,  86;  feeds  Christ, 
107;  appears  to  Joseph  and  Mary, 
107;  to  Joseph,  no,  169;  to  Elisa- 
beth, no;  rends  veil  of  temple,  359. 

Angels,  are  accompanied  by  light,  7; 
will  not  receive  worship,  9;  visit 
Mary,  20;  feed  her,  21;  sing  praises 
to  God  daily,  41 ;  protect  Mary  while 
pregnant,  42;  surround  Christ  at 
His  birth,  51;  watch  His  cradle,  52; 
praise  Him  in  temple,  61;  bury  body 
of  Zacharias,  92;  present  at  taking 
of  Joseph's  soul,  181;  sing  before  it, 
182;  prepare  his  body  for  burial, 
183;  appear  with  a  scroll,  237;  open 


(Si6) 


GENERAL   INDEX 


517 


gates  of  hell,  238;  present  at  Christ's 
descent  to  hell,  375  seq. ;  minister  to 
Christ,  40s ;  the  avenging,  41 1 ;  ac- 
count of  creation  of,  420;  names  of 
various,  422.  See  also  various 
names. 
Animals  made  of  clay  and  animated 
by  Christ,  119. 

Anna,  mother  of  Mary,  her  descent,  2; 
taunted,  3;  her  vision,  4;  tempted  by 
Judith,  s;  her  lamentations,  5,  6; 
angel  appears  to  her,  6;  again  taunt- 
ed, 7;  goes  to  temple  and  meets 
Joachim,  10;  another  vision,  11; 
bears  Mary,  12;  David  sings  her 
praises,  13;  her  songs,  15,  16,  18; 
marries  twice  again,   19. 

Anna,  the  prophetess,  teaches  Mary  in 
temple,  21;  adores  Christ  in  temple, 
62. 

Annas,  accuses  Christ,  300;  tries  Him, 
300;  bribes  Judas,  306;  tries  Christ 
again,  314;  testifies  before  Pilate, 
321;  arrests  Joseph,  397;  claims  that 
Christ  has  not  ascended,  442 ;  exam- 
ines the  three  witnesses,  449  seq. ; 
receives  the  writing  from  Charinus, 
457;  relates  the  prophecies  concern- 
ing Christ,  463  seq. ;  taken  to  Rome, 
498;  death  of,  504. 

Annas,  son  of,  killed  and  raised  by 
the  child  Christ,  142,  143. 

Annas,  the  scribe,  discovers  Mary's 
pregnancy,  44. 

Annunciation,  legends  about  its  date, 
37;  accounts  of,  34,  35,  74,  193,  415, 
416. 

Another  like  Christ  speaks  to  Him, 
229. 

Anselm,  69,  89. 

Antichrist,  Christ  teaches  about,  261; 
the  witnesses  before,  269,  270;  his 
birth,  292;  his  destruction,  293.  See 
also  Beliar,  and  Devil. 

Antoninus,  59,  118,  154. 

Aphraates,  251,  252,  253. 

Aphrodisius,  governor  in  Egypt,  adores 
Christ,  91. 

Apocryphal  books  of  the  Jews,  463. 

Apollo,  temple  of,  falls  at  Christ's 
birth,   53. 

Apollonius,  246. 

Apostles,  call  of  the,  etc.,  198-205;  Mo- 
hammedan account  of,  203 ;  preach 
through  Judaea,  229;  Christ's  teach- 
ings to,  245-246;  question  Him,  286; 
are  hidden,  372,     See  separate  names. 

37 


Apostles,    Gospel    of    the    Twelve,    36, 

195,  198,  199,  201,  202. 
Apostles,   Teachings  of,  Syriac,  439. 
Apostolic   Constitutions,    22,   245,    246, 

247,    248,    249,   251,    253,    254,   256, 

257,    260,    261,    262,    263,    309,    312, 

3:3,  322,  401,  434,  440. 
Apostolic  Didagmata,    433. 
Arabic  alphabet,  legend  as  to  Christ's 

teaching,   156. 
Aradyal,  angel,  52. 
Archelaus,  succeeds  Herod,  no;  death 

of,  498. 
Aristides,  messenger  of  Tiberius,  482. 
Aristobulus,   199. 
Arms   and    legs,    Christ   heals  broken, 

127. 
Arnobius,  78,  214,  258,  358,  359. 
Arnoldtis  Abbas,  443. 
Ascension  of  Christ,  438-440. 
Ass,   head  of,  worshipped  by  Jews  or 

Christians,  80. 
Assia,  daughter  of  Joseph,  27. 
Astronomy  explained  by  Christ,  164. 
Atlianasius,  56,  89,  262,  345. 
Athenagoras,   171,  261. 
Athens,    signs   of   Christ's   passion   at, ' 

360. 
Augustus     Caesar,     makes    enrolment, 

49;      people      wish     to     place     him 

amongst  the  gods,  58. 
Avenging  of  Christ  on  the  Jews,  505, 

506. 
Azrael,  angel,  169,  237. 


B. 


B,  Beta,  or  Beth,  allegorically  inter- 
preted by  Christ,  156. 

Bacchus  and  the  Satyrs  testify  con- 
cerning Mary,  68. 

Balaam  identified  with  Zoroaster,  64. 

Balder,  339. 

Balm,  the  washing  of  Christ's  body 
produces,   106. 

Balthasar,  one  of  the  Magi,  71. 

Baptism,  of  John  and  Zacharias,  91 ; 
of  Christ,  195-197;  of  the  apostles, 
204,  205;  of  Titus,  489;  of  Tiberius, 
484. 

Barabbas,  329. 

Bardesanes,  220. 

Barnabas,   184,  245,  247,  250,  262. 

Baronius,   472. 

Barpanther,   i. 

Barradius,    107,    195,   196,  337.  339- 

Bartholomew,   healed  by   Christ,    132; 


5i8 


GENERAL   INDEX 


his    origin,     202;     questions     Christ 

after  the  resurrection,  410-428. 
Basil,  6s,  80,  248,  348. 
Bathing  eschewed  by  the  ascetics,  20. 
Beam  lengthened  by  Christ,  114. 
Beda,  23,  53,  58,  70,  94,  163,  187,  226, 

337.  344.  361.  370,  441- 
Beliar,    his    appearance,    418;    reveals 

mysteries  to   Bartholomew,  418-426. 
Benedict,   St.,  rule  of,  22. 
Bernard,  23,  37,  362. 
Bethesda,  legend  of  pool  of,  339. 
Birds  made  by  Christ,  etc.,   107,   120, 

207. 
Birth  of  Christ,   date  of,  48;   account 

of,    51;    signs   of  at   various   places, 

52-54.   58,   59- 
Blind,    those    speaking    against    Christ 

become,  144. 
Blood   of   Zacharias,   turned   to   stone, 

81;  shall  not  be  wiped  up,  218. 
Bogomiles,  265. 
Bonaventura,   23,   53,   59,  69,  89,   106, 

169,  362. 
Book  of  deeds,  237. 
Book  of  sins,  185. 
'Book  of  the  Dead,  174,  184,  259,  271. 
Boschardus,    106,    196. 
Boys  struck  dead  and  raised  by  Christ, 

140-143,  145. 
Bread,     Christ     multiplies    and    turns 

stones  to,  226. 
Breviary,  Roman,   i,  2. 
Bridegroom,  the  afflicted,  cured,  99. 
Browning,  E.  B.,  69. 
Buddha,  89. 
Buddhism,    167. 
Burial,    of   Zacharias,    92;    of   Joseph, 

186,    187;   of  John   Baptist,   218;   of 

Christ,    370. 
Buthem     testifies     concerning     Christ, 

450. 


Cael,  33. 

Caesar.     See   Augustus,   Tiberius. 

Caiaphas,  secures  Christ,  300;  bribes 
Judas,  302;  tries  Christ,  303,  306, 
314;  testifies  before  Pilate,  321;  ar- 
rests Joseph,  397;  denies  Christ's 
ascension,  442;  examines  the  three 
witnesses,  45 1  seq. ;  receives  the 
writings  from  Leucius,  457;  tells 
Pilate  the  prophecies  concerning 
Christ,  463  seq.;  dsath  of,  498. 

Cain,  340. 

Cajetan,  39,  166. 


Calvinistic     apocryphal     document,     a, 

353  seq. 
Cana,  the  wedding  at,  208  seq. 
Capitol  of  Egypt,  the,  88. 
Carius    wishes    to    make    Christ    king, 

299. 
Carpenter,  Joseph  follows  trade  of,  in 

seq.;  Christ  works  as,  112. 
Cartaphilus.     See   Wandering  Jew. 
Casattbon,  441. 
Cassian,  23. 
Cassiodorus,  256, 
Cathari,  417. 

Cave   of  the  nativity,  50;   cloud  over- 
shadows, 55;  made  like  a  temple,  58. 
Cedrenus,  220,  222,  223,  224,  478. 
Celsiis,  321,  382,  469. 
Centurion,      his      servant     healed      by 

Christ,      328;      testifies      concerning 

Christ,    360.     See    Long^nus,    Petro- 

nius. 
Chairoum,  angel,  421. 
Charinus,   son   of   Simeon,   arises  from 

dead,  373;  tells  mysteries,  395;  sought 

for    and    found   by    Sanhedrin,    455; 

writes    account    of    Christ's    descent 

into  hell,  456,  457. 
Charity,  Christ  teaches  concerning,  253. 
Chastity,  Mary  chooses  life  of,  23. 
Cherubim,  a  place,   412. 
Child  raised  from  dead  by  Christ,  128. 
Childlessness  proof  of  God's  anger,  3, 

8. 
Chinese  Joss  religion,  the,   182. 
Christ,    meaning    of    name,    426.     See 

Jesus  Christ. 
Christian    Science,    312. 
Christian,  Tiberius  becomes  a,  484. 
Clirysostom,   4,  65,  98,    195,  249,  291, 

316,  364. 
Church  of  St.  Mary  at  Rome,  legends, 

S3.  59- 
Circumcision  of  Christ,  60. 
Clement  of  Alexandria,    56,    171,   246, 

247,    248,    249,   250,   251,   252,    2S3. 

254,    256,    2S7.    258,    259,    260,    261, 

262,  26s,  431.  433.  434.  450. 
Clement  of  Rome,   195,  243,  244,  251, 

252,  2S3.  255,  2S6,  260,  261,  262. 
Clementine    Homilies,    243,    245,    249, 

250,  253,  2s8,  260,  261,  262,  264,  265. 
Clementine     Recognitions,     243,     249, 

253,  264. 

Cleopas  cured  by  the  tomb  of  Christ, 

460,  461. 
Cleophas,    cured    by    Christ    of    fever, 

etc.,  130;  saved  from  well,  131. 


GENERAL   INDEX 


519 


Cleophas,  mother  of,  and  her  rival, 
130,  131' 

Cock,  a  roasted,  announces  the  be- 
trayal, 307;  testifies  concerning  the 
resurrection,  343,  344. 

Confession,  Joseph's  in  temple,  169- 
172;  on  his  death-bed,  174,  175. 

Confucius,  254. 

Constantine  Manasscs,  479. 

Cotelerius,  198,  199,  201,  202,  247. 

Council  held  concerning  Christ,  303 
seq. 

Creation,  the,  described  by  Beliar,  420; 
the,  of  man,  424. 

Cross,  inscription  on  the,  336;  descrip- 
tion and  history  of  the,  339-342; 
hidden  after  the  resurrection,  458; 
wonders  wrought  by,  460  seq. 

Cross,  sign  of,  65,  209,  211;  set  by 
Christ  in  Hades,  392. 

Crown  of  thorns,  the,  338. 

Crucifixion,  the,  348  seq.;  date  of, 
334- 

Cup  of  death,  the,  2Z7' 

Cyborea,  133. 

Cyprian,  65,  71,  253,  331. 

Cyrenius,  49. 

Cyriacus,   107. 

Cyril  of  Alexandria,  80,  379. 

Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  89. 

D. 

Dahcan's  house,  103. 

Daphne,  292. 

Darkness  at  crucifixion,  338. 

Dathan,  Abiram,  and  Korah,  31. 

David,  sings  praises  of  Joachim  and 
Anna,  13;  answers  Anna's  song,  15; 
testifies  in  Hades,  385,  392. 

Dead,  care  of  Egyptians  in  embalming 
the,  184;  several  raised  by  Christ, 
241;  raised  at  crucifixion,  373. 

Death,  and  his  crew,  179;  his  double 
face,  179;  fears  to  enter  where  Christ 
is,  179,  181;  why  he  reigns,  186, 
187,  268;  overcome  by  Christ,  who 
tramples  on  him,  389;  intense  Egyp- 
tian fear  of,  170. 

Decollation  of  John  Baptist,  216. 

Descent  from  the  cross,  366,  367. 

Descent  into  hell,  Christ's,  375  seq. 

Devil,  the,  Christ  teaches  about,  250; 
his  controversy  with  Christ,  287-293; 
meets  Christ  in  form  of  fisherman, 
296,  297;  as  Antichrist,  288.  See 
also  Antichrist,  Beliar,  Satan. 


Didache,  243,  247,  249,  252,  234,  236, 
257,   262. 

Didascalia,  246,  231,  253,  254,  257, 
260,  261,  303,  303,  307,  401. 

Didymus,  244. 

Dina,  2. 

Diognetus,    Epistle   to,   233. 

Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  360,  361. 

Disciples,  of  John  Baptist,  the,  195;  of 
Christ,  198-205. 

Dismas,  the  penitent  thief,  meets 
Christ  in  Egypt,  94;  helps  Him  and 
receives  promise,  93;  his  manner  of 
life,  301;  crucified,  330;  repents, 
331;  receives  letter,  352,  333;  an- 
other early  history  of,  332;  meets 
Christ  in  paradise,  393,  394. 

Docetic  references,  138,  200,  201,  226, 
229,  288,  294,  350,  399,  410. 

Dove,  Anna's  vision  of  a,  4;  Joach- 
im's, 4;  comes  forth  from  Joseph's 
rod,  31;  Holy  Spirit  in  form  of  a, 
196. 

Dowie,   Dr.,   40. 

Dragon,  Satan  in  form  of,  134,  135; 
body  of  Gestas  takes  form  of,  366. 

Dragons  adore   infant  Christ,  83. 

Dreams,   classical   ideas  about,   319. 

Dress  given  by  Christ  to  the  disciples, 
203. 

Dumachus.     See  Dismas. 

Dyer,  Christ  and  the,  113;  Christ 
learns  trade  of,  116. 


Ear,  Joseph  seizes  Christ  by  the,  144; 

Christ  raises  dead  boy  by  the,  143. 
Earth,  the,  revenges  itself  on  the  dead, 

238. 
Earthquake,  at  the  curcifixion,  339;  at 

the   descent   from  the   cross,  367;   at 

the  resurrection,  407. 
Ebionism,  236. 
Ebionites,  Gospel  of  the,  194,  196,  201, 

213,  243,  308. 
Echius,  337. 
Edessa,   history  of,  220;   protected  by 

wonderful   letter  and  portrait,   224. 
Egypt,    the    flight    into    and    miracles 

wrought  in,  77-108;  legend  of  Christ's 

sojourn  in,   166. 
Egyptians,  Gospel  of  the,  248,  231,  252, 

239,  260. 
Eighteen  years  of  Christ's  life  hidden, 

166. 
Elders,  the  twenty-four  in  heaven,  273. 


520 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Elijah,  virginity  of,  23;  incarnate  in 
John  Baptist,  40;  a  witness  before 
Antichrist,  268  seq.,  293;  meets  Christ 
in  paradise,  393. 

Elisabeth,  her  relation  to  Mary,  14; 
conception  of  John,  33 ;  visited  by 
Mary,  38;  bears  John,  39;  nourishes 
John,  47;  conceals  him  in  mountain, 
79;  dwells  in  desert,  92;  weans 
John,  110;  returns  with  him,  11 1; 
buries  him,  218. 

Emelouch,  angel,  289,  411. 

Emerantiane,  2. 

En-gedi,  vineyards  of,  bloom,  33- 

Enoch,  as  a  witness  before  Antichrist, 
268  seq.,  293;  meets  Christ  in  para- 
dise, 393. 

Enoch,  Book  of,  421,  422,  429. 

Ephraem  Syrus,  196,  223,  244,  24s, 
247,  249,  250,  251,  252,  254,  255, 
256,  264. 

Epiphanius,  11,  22,  65,  80,  107,  169, 
194,  195,  196,  198,  201,  205,  231, 
243,  246,  249,  256,  259,  262,  265, 
268,  308,  434,  443,  463. 

Epiphany,  date  of  celebration  of,  74, 
75- 

Epistle.    See  Letter. 

Ertha,  angel,  421. 

Escha,  27. 

Esdras,  Apocalypse  of,  181,  226,  375. 

Eucharist,  Christ  institutes,  309;  mys- 
tical foreshadowing  of,  416;  Christ 
celebrates,  434-437. 

Euphrates,  river  of  paradise,  426. 

Eusebiiis,  II,  51,  89,  214,215,217,218, 
221,  241,  245,  251,  258,  333,  402, 
408,  494. 

Eustathiiis,  381. 

Euthymius,  265,  349. 

Euty chilis,  61. 

Evagriiis,  224. 

Eve,  her  temptation,  41,  425;  Christ 
delivers  from  Hades,  391. 

Eve,  Gospel  of,  255,  425. 

Evodius,  25,  198,  199. 

Eye  diseases  cured  by  Christ,  129,  130. 


Fanuel,  the  emperor,  2. 

Fast,  Joachim's,  4. 

Feast,  Christ  at  a,   168. 

Feeding  the  multitude,  Christ's,  225, 
226. 

Fire,  Christ  carries  in  His  lap,  118; 
that  souls  must  pass,  180;  over  Jor- 
dan at  Christ's  baptism,  196. 


Fish,  mystical  use  of  the  word,  66;  a 
dried  animated  by  Christ,  104;  a 
cooked,  brought  from  heaven  and 
animated  by  Him,  227,   228. 

Fisherman,  the  devil  meets  Christ  as 
a,  296. 

Foot,  severed,  restored  by  Christ,  125; 
boy  killed  by  blow  of,  raised  by 
Christ,  127,  128. 

Fountain,  appears  in  cave  of  nativity, 
53;  in  desert  at  Christ's  command, 
85;  in  the  temple,  91;  in  Egypt,  105; 
at  Mary's  command,  106. 

Freemasonry,    156,   172. 


Gabriel,  his  annunciation  to  Mary,  34, 
37.  39;  appears  to  Joseph,  43;  in 
temple,  91;  at  Joseph's  death,  182. 
Ref.  to,  7,  12,  169,  180,  181. 

Gamaliel,   325. 

Caspar,  one  of  the  Magi,  71. 

Gazir,  2. 

Gehenna,  Lazarus  tells  what  happened 
in,  235,  236. 

Geon,  river  of  paradise,  426. 

Gerson,  30,   169. 

Gervais  of  Tilbury,  74. 

Gestas,  the  impenitent  thief,  meets 
Christ  in  Egypt,  94,  95;  his  previous 
life,  301;  crucified,  350;  rails  at 
Christ,  351. 

Girl  cured  of  leprosy  by  Christ,  97; 
her  marriage,    102. 

Glycas,  Michael,  25,  478,  479. 

Gnosticism  and  Gnostic  references,  15, 
33,  64,  66,  69,  75,  80,  86,  88,  91, 
no,  167,  180,  195,  220,  226,  243, 
246,  252,  255,  259,  271,  272,  273, 
276,  280,  289,  296,  310,  311,  313, 
354.  380,  382,  421,  425,  427,  434, 
435.  436,  437.  439.  455.  456. 

Gods,  Tiberius  proposes  to  admit 
Christ  amongst,  481;  fall  at  name  of 
Christ,  499. 

Gold,  brought  by  Magi,  its  history,  70; 
or  silver  for  which  Christ  was  be- 
trayed,  its  history,  306,  349. 

Golden  gate  of  the  temple,  7,  9,   10. 

Golden  Legend,  The,  179,  226,  231, 
295.  299,  300,  306,  339,  344,  360, 
361,  403,  474,  476,  493. 

Grave  of  Christ,  370. 

Graves  opened  at  the  crucifixion,  359, 
373,  470. 

Greek  letters,  attempt  to  teach  Christ 
the,    159. 


GENERAL  INDEX 


S2I 


Gregorius  Abulfaragius,  64,  73. 
Gregory  of  Nasiansen,  98. 
Gregory  of  Nyssa,  80,  252,  328. 
Gregory  of  Tours,  74,  196,  403. 
Gregory  the  Great,  351. 

H. 

Habakkuk  testifies  in  Hades,  392. 

Hades,  the  fathers  in,  saw  light  at 
Christ's  birth,  53 ;  seeks  to  resist 
Christ's  descent,  376-383;  orders 
gates  to  be  shut,  385;  is  lighted  up, 
387;  is  conquered,  388;  cross  set  in 
midst  of,  392. 

Haggai,  a  Levite.  See  Phinees,  Hag- 
gai,  and  Adas. 

Hand,  withered,  cured  by  Christ,  213. 

Handkerchief  of  Christ  raises  dead, 
137. 

Harvest,  miraculous,  82,  83,  93,  118. 

Heads  of  God,  the,  428. 

Heaven,  Christ  shows  the  apostles, 
211.     See  also  Paradise. 

Hebrew  letters,  attempt  to  teach  Christ 
the,  155;  same  in  number  as  the 
priests,  etc.,   190. 

Hebrezvs,  Gospel  of  the,  245,  249,  255, 
257.  258,   360,  403. 

Hegesippus,  261,  262. 

Hell,  description  of  (Mohammedan), 
238,  239;  Christ  shows  His  apostles, 
272;  Christ's  descent  into,  37s  seq. ; 
shows  Peter,  430-433.  See  also 
Amenti,  Gehenna,  Hades. 

Hernias,  171,  184,  245,  247,  250,  256, 
257.  380. 

Hermopolis,  87. 

Herod  (the  Great) ,  questions  the  Magi, 
73;  searches  for  them,  77;  mas- 
sacres the  Innocents,  79;  slays 
Zacharias,  80;  his  soldiers  seek 
Christ,  83;  his  death,  109. 

Herod  (Antipas),  imprisons  John,  197; 
tortures  and  beheads  him,  216;  per- 
mits Veronica  to  erect  statue  to 
Christ,  217;  threatens  those  who 
would  make  Christ  king,  299;  spreads 
guile  concerning  Him,  300;  tries 
Christ,  331;  orders  Him  to  be  cruci- 
fied, 333;  grants  His  body  for  burial, 
365 ;  his  letter  to  Pilate,  493  seq. ; 
his  death  and  burial,  495. 

Herodias,  daughter  of  Herod,  death 
of,  493,  495. 

Hilary,  65,  219,  249,  251. 

Hippolytus,  25,  203,  248,  249,  25s,  259, 
263.  288,  377. 


Holy  Grail,  legend  of,  369,  476. 

Holy  of  holies,  a  voice  addresses  Zach- 
arias from,  28;  the  rods  put  into,  29. 

Holy  Spirit,  descends  on  Christ  at 
baptism,  196,  197;  (Thrist  teaches 
about  the,  252;  the  sin  against,  428. 

Hours  of  prayer  attributed  to  Mary, 
20. 

House,  man  fallen  from,  healed  by 
Christ,  125;  boy  fallen  from,  healed 
by  Christ,   126,   127. 

Hymn  sung  by  Christ  and  His  apos- 
tles, 310  seq. 

I, 

Idols,  fall  at  Christ's  birth,  in  Egypt, 
53;  in  Persia,  68;  fall  in  Egypt  at 
Christ's  entrance,  89;  city  of  changed 
into  sand-hills,  95;  demons  tell  that 
the  idols  fall,  282;  fall  at  name  of 
Christ  in  Rome,  499. 

Ignatius,  34,  53,  54,  252,  309,  343,  402. 

Immaculate  conception  of  Mary,  the,  6. 

Impenitent  thief.     See   Gestas. 

Incense  brought  by  the  Magi,  71,  74. 

Incommunicable  name  of  God,  29,271, 
302,  435. 

India,  story  of  Christ's  journey  to,  166. 

Innocent,  53,  65,  362. 

Innocents,  massacre  of,  78. 

Inscription,  curious,  at  end  of  apo- 
cryphal document,  185;  on  the  cross, 
336. 

Irenaeus,  150,  184,  195,  245,  251,  262, 
263,  268,  339. 

Isaac,  Testament  of,  184,  185. 

Isaiah,  legend  concerning,  79,  80;  tes- 
tifies in  Hades,  385. 

Issachar,  high  priest,  3. 

J. 

Jacob,  father  of  Joseph,  187. 

Jacob,  ref.  to,  8,  29. 

Jairus,  teacher,  testifies  concerning 
Christ,  450. 

James  of  Edessa,  70. 

James,  son  of  Alphaeus,   19. 

James,  son  of  Zebedee,  19;  his  call, 
199-201;  his  baptism,  205. 

James  the  Less,  27,  34,  49;  retires  to 
wilderness,  no;  cured  of  viper's 
bite  by  Christ,  124;  at  Christ's  res- 
urrection, 403. 

Jannes  and  Jambres,  325. 

Jansenius,  106. 

Janus,  temple  of,  shut  at  Christ's  birth, 
52. 


522 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Jebusites,  temple  of  the,  213. 

Jeremiah,  testifies  in  Hades,  385. 

Jerome,  i,  23,  27,  51,  55,  195,  197,  213, 
217,  218,  251,  25s,  256,  262,  265, 
274,  291,  337,  339,  360,  Z77,  402, 
403,  498. 

Jerusalem  the  centre  of  the  earth,  64, 
370. 

Jesus,  meaning  of  name,  9,  426. 

Jesus  Christ,  His  birth  predicted,  7,  9, 
34-36;  His  conception,  37;  birth,  51; 
demons  tell  Satan  about  it,  282; 
watched  by  angels,  52;  carried  by 
Salome,  57;  adored  by  animals,  59; 
enroled,  circumcised,  and  presented 
in  temple,  60;  adored  by  Simeon, 
61;  by  Anna,  62;  Magi  present  gifts 
to,  74;  Herod  searches  for,  78,  83; 
hidden  and  taken  to  Egypt,  82;  en- 
ters Egypt,  87;  adored  by  Aphrodi- 
sius,  90;  meets  the  robbers,  94; 
makes  promise  to  Dismas,  95;  dwells 
in  Dahcan's  house,  103;  dwells  with 
a  widow,  104;  dwells  with  Alphaeus, 
104;  story  of  the  sparrows,  105; 
dwells  at  Heliopolis,  105;  at  Mem- 
phis, 106;  leaves  Egypt,  108;  dwells 
in  desert,  no;  goes  to  Nazareth, 
iii;  works  as  a  carpenter,  112;  plays 
with  the  boys,  114;  sent  to  learn 
dyer's  trade,  n6;  is  at  Jericho,  120; 
plays  king,  122;  lives  in  Bethlehem, 
124;  goes  to  Nazareth,  126;  brought 
before  judge,  127;  goes  to  Bethle- 
hem, 129;  to  Capernaum,  137;  plays 
in  Galilee,  139;  makes  water  pools, 
140,  142;  rebukes  Joseph,  145;  breaks 
the  pots  and  tiles,  145;  helps  the 
potters,  146;  returns  home,  147-149; 
ridicules  Zaccheus,  152-154;  brought 
to  Levi,  154;  teaches  about  the  He- 
brew letters,  155-156;  addresses  Levi, 
158;  brought  to  a  third  teacher,  159; 
to  a  fourth,  160;  teaches  wonders, 
161 ;  taken  to  Jerusalem,  162 ;  teaches 
in  temple,  163,  164;  answers  Mary, 
165;  occupations  of  the  eighteen 
years,  166;  His  family  life,  167;  at 
table,  168;  at  Joseph's  death  bed, 
175;  weeps  and  comforts  Mary,  177; 
holds  Joseph's  hands  and  feet,  178; 
repels  Death,  179;  prays  for  Joseph, 
180;  permits  Death  to  enter,  181; 
address  over  Joseph's  body,  182;  pre- 
pares it  for  burial,  183;  blesses  it, 
184;  weeps  for  Joseph,  186;  explains 
why   Death   has   power,    187;    nomi- 


nated priest,  191;  elected,  192;  en- 
roled as  Son  of  God,  194;  brought 
to  John's  baptism,  195;  baptized, 
196;  Holy  Spirit  descends  on  Him 
and  He  is  tempted,  197;  walks  by 
Sea  of  Tiberias,  198;  calls  Peter  and 
Andrew,  199;  John  and  James,  200; 
calls  other  apostles,  201;  calls  the 
Seventy,  203 ;  gives  a  dress  to  the 
disciples,  205 ;  His  personal  appear- 
ance, 205,  206;  announces  His  mis- 
sion, 207 ;  attends  wedding  at  Cana, 
208;  prevents  consummation  of  mar- 
riage, 210;  takes  apostles  to  heathen 
temple,  210;  receives  letter  from  Ab- 
gar,  222;  sends  answer,  223;  blesses 
the  loaves,  226;  promises  a  sign  of 
the  resurrection,  231,  232;  at  tomb 
of  Lazarus,  233;  Journey  to  Dead 
Sea,  236;  teaches  on  Mount  of  Olives, 
266-270,  273-276;  teaches  mystical 
names  and  prayers,  266-272;  Mary 
questions  Him,  277;  fasts  sixty  days, 
283;  other  words  of  His,  278-285; 
controversy  with  the  devil,  286-293 ; 
is  transfigured,  294,  295;  meets  the 
devil,  296,  297;  sought  to  make  Him 
king,  295,  299;  accusations  brought 
against  Him,  299,  300;  accused  to 
Pilate,  301;  arrested,  303;  council 
concerning  Him,  304,  305;  is  craftily 
released,  306;  eats  passover,  308;  in- 
stitutes eucharist,  309;  hymn  with 
disciples,  310-312;  discourse  in  the 
garden,  312-314;  betrayed  and  tried 
before  Caiaphas,  314;  accused  before 
Pilate,  315;  summoned  by  the  run- 
ner, 316;  soldiers  adore  Him  coming 
in,  317;  comes  in  again,  319;  tried 
before  Pilate,  320-331;  before  Herod, 
331;  condemned  and  sentenced,  333- 
337;  scourged  and  abused,  337,  338; 
way  of  the  cross,  338,  344-346;  meets 
Veronica  and  Wandering  Jew,  346 
seq. ;  is  prepared  for  crucifixion,  349; 
crucified,  350;  pardons  Dismas,  352; 
gives  him  letter,  353;  gives  Mary  to 
John,  353;  His  testament,  354-3S7; 
His  death,  358;  signs  following,  358- 
360;  His  body  given  to  Joseph,  364, 
36s;  descent  from  the  cross,  366- 
368;  prepared  for  burial,  368,  369; 
burial,  370;  descends  into  hell,  375- 
386;  enters  Hades,  387,  388;  binds 
Satan,  389;  delivers  the  fathers,  391; 
sets  the  cross  in  Hades,  392;  brings 
the  saints  to  paradise,  393;   His  resur- 


GENERAL   INDEX 


523 


rection,  399;  appears  to  the  women, 
401;  to  the  disciples,  402;  to  James 
and  the  eleven,  403;  to  Joseph,  404; 
goes  into  Galilee,  405 ;  appears  to 
John,  406;  revelations  to  Bartholo- 
mew, 410-428;  to  Peter  and  the  apos- 
tles, 429-434;  celebrates  the  euchar- 
ist,  434-437;  last  charge  to  the  apos- 
tles and  ascension,  438,  439.  See 
also  Agrapha,  and  Miracles  of 
Christ. 

Jethro,  30. 

Joachim,  father  of  Mary,  his  descent, 
etc.,  I,  2;  reproached  with  childless- 
ness, 3 ;  retires  to  mountains,  fasts, 
etc.,  4;  angel  appears  to  him,  7,  10; 
Mary's  birth  promised,  8;  his  offer- 
ings, 9,  1 1 ;  returns  home,  n;  David 
sings  his  praise,   13;  his  death,  19. 

Joannes  Cinnamiis,  478. 

Jobel,  the  year,  451. 

Johannes  Major,   165. 

John  Malela,  195,  319,  381. 

John  of  Damascus,  23,  205,  247,  249, 
463- 

John  of  Thessalonica,   169. 

John  the  Apostle,  his  call,  etc.,  199, 
200;  marvels  told  by  him  of  Christ, 
200,  201;  baptism  of,  204;  his  mar- 
riage, 208;  its  consummation  pre- 
vented, 210;  a  witness  before  Anti- 
christ, 270,  293;  follows  the  cross, 
345;  Mary  given  to,  353,  439;  at  the 
resurrection,  406. 

John  the  Baptist,  birthplace  of,  15; 
birth  promised,  33;  birth  of,  39; 
cherished  by  his  parents,  47;  con- 
cealed in  the  mountain,  79;  baptized 
by  Christ,  91;  his  nurture  when  an 
infant,  no;  cared  for  by  Uriel,  in; 
baptizes  and  preaches,  193,  194;  bap- 
tizes Christ,  194,  195;  Herod  casts 
him  into  prison,  197;  pricks  Herod, 
21s;  is  beheaded,  216;  body  buried 
in  temple,  218;  a  witness  before 
Antichrist,  270,  293;  testifies  in 
Hades,  379. 

Jonachir,   i. 

Jordan,  miraculously  crossed  by  Christ, 
121;  Christ  plays  at  the  bed  of,  140; 
John  baptizes  in,  195. 

Joseph,  husband  of  Mary,  his  charac- 
ter, etc.,  27;  his  rod,  29;  his  rod 
chosen,  30;  betrothed  to  Mary,  31; 
receives  Mary  into  his  house,  33; 
discovers  her  pregnancy,  40;  laments 
and  reproaches  her,  41 ;  is  comfort- 


ed, 43;  reproached  by  Annas,  44;  by 
the  priests,  45 ;  takes  water  of  or- 
deal, 46;  journeys  to  Bethlehem,  49; 
questions  Mary,  50;  seeks  midwives, 
51;  meets  Zelomi,  54;  brings  mid- 
wives  to  Mary,  55;  presents  Christ 
in  temple,  60;  warned  to  flee  into 
Egypt,  82 ;  sees  a  lion  in  the  way, 
84;  rebukes  Mary,  85;  complains  of 
heat,  86;  enters  hospital  of  Egypt, 
88;  answers  about  the  King,  94; 
banquet  prepared  for  him,  99;  sells 
wood,  103;  angel  appears  to  him,  108, 
no;  returns  to  his  trade  at  Naza- 
reth, in;  makes  a  throne  and  builds 
a  house,  113;  lives  in  Bethlehem, 
124;  goes  to  Nazareth,  126;  goes  to 
Capernaum,  137;  asks  Mary  to  ad- 
monish Christ,  140;  seizes  Christ  by 
the  ear,  144;  seeks  for  Christ,  147; 
rebukes  the  potter,  149;  a  teacher 
speaks  against  him,  151;  takes  Christ 
to  school,  154,  159,  160;  attends  the 
Passover,  162;  his  household,  167; 
comes  to  a  feast,  168;  his  old  age, 
168;  goes  to  Jerusalem,  169;  his  re- 
pentance, 170-172;  his  last  illness, 
172  ;  his  confession,  174;  asks  Christ's 
pardon,  175,  176;  Abaddon  takes  his 
soul,  181;  it  is  rolled  in  a  napkin, 
182;  body  prepared  for  burial,  183; 
body  blessed  by  Christ,  184;  his  bur- 
ial, 186,  187;  Christ  relates  his  his- 
tory, 267. 

Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  does  not  con- 
spire with  the  Jews,  300,  314;  begs 
Christ's  body,  364,  365;  takes  body 
from  cross,  366,  367;  aids  in  Christ's 
burial,  368;  gets  the  Holy  Grail,  369; 
laments  for  Christ,  371;  is  sought 
and  imprisoned,  396-398;  delivered 
by  Christ,  404;  Jews  write  to  him, 
444;  comes  to  Jerusalem,  445;  his 
story,  446 ;  tells  about  Simeon's  sons, 
453;  aids  in  hiding  the  cross,  458, 
459;  meets  Volusianus,  476;  his  later 
history,  476. 

Joseph  of  Capernaum  raised  by  Christ, 
137.   138. 

Joseph  the  patriarch,  ref.  to,  8,  29,  70. 

Josephus,  II,  42,  61,  109,  igo,  191,216, 
327,  450,  488,  494,  498,  504. 

Joses,  son  of  Joseph,  27,  167,  168. 

Judas  Iscariot,  early  history  of,  135, 
136,  302;  Satan  driven  out  of  by 
Christ,  137;  his  call,  etc.,  201,  202; 
does  not  receive  the  loaves,  225 ;  le- 


524 


GENERAL   INDEX 


gend  regarding  his  death,  238;  bribed 
by  the  Jews,  302,  306;  accuses  Christ 
to  the  Jews,  303;  sells  Christ,  306; 
roasted  cock  follows  him,  307 ;  not 
present  at  institution  of  eucharist, 
309;  betrays  Christ,  314;  repents, 
343;  the  roasted  cock  testifies,  344; 
kills  himself  or  is  crushed  by  char- 
iot, 344;  tradition  that  he  was  cruci- 
fied, 350. 

Judas,  son  of  Joseph,  27,  167,  168,201. 

Judge,  Christ  before  the,  127. 

Judith,  Anna's  handmaid,  5,  7. 

Julius  Africanus,  381. 

Juno,  Persian  temple  of,  65  seq. ;  in- 
scription to  Christ  placed  in,  76. 

Justin  Martyr,  48,  50,  65,  112,  171, 
184,  196,  246,  247,  248,  249,  256. 
261,  334,  339.  392,  408,  434,  43S- 

Justus,  27 ;  saved  from  poison  by  Christ, 
213. 

Juvencus,  244,  344. 

K, 
Kerkoutha,  angel,  421. 
Keryoun,    star    appearing    at    Christ's 

birth,  S4- 
Kids,  Christ  turns  boys  into,  114. 
King,  Christ  crowned  as  by  boys,  122; 

a,  with  wife  in  travail,  102 ;  a,  whom 

men  planned  to  rob,   103;  they  seek 

to  make  Christ  a,  29s  seq. 
Kiss  of  peace,  the,  261. 
Koran,  11,  13,  20,  21,  33,  36,  119,  185, 

207,  210,  227,  238,  240. 
Krishna,  119. 

L. 

Lactantius,  250,  261,  315,  333- 

Lamech,  legend  of,  503. 

Languages,    various,    used    by    Christ, 

214. 
Lanspergius,  338. 
Lazarus,  his  early  history,  231;  raised 

by  Christ,  234;  tells  what  passed  in 

Gehenna,  235,  236. 
Lebbaeus,  201. 

Lentulus,  letter  of,  205,  206. 
Leo,  378. 
Leprosy  cured  by  Christ,  97,  99,   132- 

135- 

Lesbonax,  son  of  Herod,  494. 

Letter,  of  Lentulus  to  Roman  Senate, 
20s,  206 ;  of  Abgar  to  Christ,  220- 
222;  of  Christ  to  Abgar,  223;  of 
Christ  given  to  Dismas,  353;  borne  by 
Dismas  to  Christ,  405;  of  Sanhedrin 


to  Joseph,  444;  of  Pilate  to  Tiberius, 
466  seq. ;  of  Theodorus  to  Pilate, 
472;  of  Abgar  to  Tiberius,  473;  of 
Caesar  to  Pilate,  479;  of  Tiberius  to 
Abgar,  480 ;  of  Abgar  to  Tiberius, 
482;  of  Pilate  to  Herod,  490  seq.; 
of  Herod  to  Pilate,  493  seq.;  of 
Caesar  to  Licianus,  500. 

Levi,  a  teacher,  testifies  concerning 
Christ,  447. 

Levi  the  schoolmaster,  tries  to  teach 
Christ  the  Hebrew  letters,  154; 
strikes  Him,  155;  is  confounded  by 
Him,  155,  156;  confesses  his  ignor- 
ance, 157,  158. 

Libia,   Burgidalla,  and   Equitaine,   486. 

Licianus,  Caesar's  letter  to,  500. 

Light,  accompanies  the  angels,  7;  an 
unearthly,  appeared  at  Christ's  birth, 
53;  at  His  baptism,   196. 

Lions  obey  Christ,  83,  84,   120. 

Logia  of  Christ,  found  at  Behnesa,  243, 
244,  247.  254,  255- 

Longinus,  his  history,  360;  testifies  to 
Christ,  360;  pierces  His  side,  361; 
is  healed,  362;  at  the  resurrection, 
399,  400;  goes  to  meet  Christ,  490 
seq. ;  his  punishment,  496. 

Loretto,  legend  of  the  house  of,  34. 

Lucerne,  legends  of  Pilate  at,  504. 

Luciaiius  Presbyterus,  325. 

Lucidus,  5. 

Ludolplius  Sa.ro,  337. 

Luke,  paints  portraits  of  Christ  and 
Mary,  206. 

Lydia,  daughter  of  Joseph,  27,  178. 

Lysia,  sister  of  Thomas,  203. 

M. 

Macaritis,  246,  249,  250,  233,  433. 

Macpelah,  sphinx  goes  to  the  cave  of, 
212. 

Magi,  the,  come  as  predicted,  63 ;  their 
book,  64;  their  long  watch,  65; 
whence  they  came,  65,  69,  70;  their 
number,  gifts,  and  names,  69-71;  ar- 
rive at  Jerusalem,  72;  questioned  by 
Herod,  73;  present  their  gifts,  74; 
Mary  gives  them  swaddling-bands, 
75 ;  their  return,  76. 

Magical  prayers,  271  seq.,  414,  435, 
436. 

Mambre,  or  Malech,  mount,  testimony 
that  Christ  ascended  from,  440,  441. 

Manichaeanism  and  Manichaean  refer- 
ences, 9,  14,  117,  25s,  259,  288,  417, 
439- 


GENERAL   INDEX 


525 


Marcion,  Gospel  of,  194. 

Marcionites,  382. 

Marcosians,    150. 

Mariamne,  203. 

Marriage,  Christ's  teaching  concerning, 
260. 

Martha,  with  Mary,  232-234;  follows 
the  cross,  345 ;  at  the  resurrection, 
400,  401. 

Martial,  316. 

Mart.  Polyc,  246,  262. 

Mary  Magdalene,  follows  the  cross, 
345 ;  helps  bury  Christ,  370;  laments, 
371;  at  the  resurrection,  400,  401; 
goes  to  Rome,  478;  meets  Galen, 
etc.,  479. 

Mary  the  Egyptian,  St.,  legend  of,  496. 

Mary  the  Virgin,  her  birth  promised, 
6,  8;  her  birth,  12;  Gabriel  her 
guardian,  12;  named,  13;  first  birth- 
day feast,  16;  her  third  year,  17; 
presented  in  temple,  18;  received, 
19;  entrusted  to  Zacharias,  20;  vis- 
ited and  fed  by  angels,  20,  21;  her 
manner  of  life,  20,  22;  personal  ap- 
pearance, 23,  70;  vows  virginity,  23, 
24;  refuses  to  leave  temple,  26;  al- 
lotted to  Joseph,  31;  chosen  to  make 
veil  for  temple,  32;  received  by  Jo- 
seph with  her  virgins,  33 ;  Christ's 
birth  promised  her  34,  35,  74,  193, 
415,  416;  her  conception,  36;  makes 
the  veil,  and  visits  Elisabeth,  38; 
age  at  this  time,  39;  her  pregnancy 
discovered,  40;  virgins  assert  her 
purity,  42 ;  Annas  discovers  her  preg- 
nancy, 44;  is  examined  by  the  high 
priest,  45 ;  drinks  the  water  of  or- 
deal, 46,  47;  journeys  to  Bethlehem, 
49;  sees  the  two  peoples,  50;  bears 
Christ,  51;  examined  by  midwives, 
55 ;  called  the  Fountain,  66  seq. ; 
questioned  by  the  Magi,  74;  receives 
gifts,  75 ;  gives  the  swaddling-cloth, 
76;  conceals  Christ,  82;  fears  the 
dragons  and  leopards,  83,  84;  story 
of  the  palm  tree  and  fountain,  85; 
enters  hospital  of  Egypt,  88;  washes 
Christ's  clothes,  89,  106;  afraid  be- 
cause of  the  fall  of  the  idols,  90; 
crosses  desert  at  night,  94;  converses 
with  the  robbers,  95 ;  pities  demoniac 
woman,  96;  gives  Christ  to  the  wo- 
man possessed,  97;  gifts  bestovv'ed  on 
her,  99;  pities  the  afflicted  woman, 
100;  spins  for  hire,  103;  miraculous 
fountains,  105,  io6;  angel  appears  to 


her,  io8;  returns  to  Nazareth,  iii; 
glorifies  Christ,  112;  gives  Christ  to 
the  dyer,  116;  sends  Christ  to  the 
fountain,  117;  lives  in  Bethlehem, 
124;  questions  Christ,  127;  aids  in 
various  cures,  129-136;  goes  to  Ca- 
pernaum, 137;  rebukes  Christ,  141; 
goes  to  the  pottery,  146;  welcomes 
Christ  home,  147;  takes  Christ  to 
school,  154,  159,  160;  attends  the 
Passover,  162;  chides  Christ,  165; 
appeals  to  Him  to  save  Joseph,  177; 
weeps  for  Joseph,  178;  dwells  with 
her  nephews,  188;  testifies  to  Christ's 
parentage,  193;  her  virginity  proved, 
193.  194;  brings  Christ  to  baptism, 
195;  at  wedding  at  Cana,  208-210; 
weeps  for  John's  death,  216;  ques- 
tions Christ  about  her  departure,  277; 
follows  the  cross,  345;  laments  and 
faints,  346;  given  to  John's  keeping, 
353.  439;  laments,  357;  laments  at 
tomb,  367  seq. ;  explains  mysteries  to 
the  apostles,  413  seq. 

Mary,  the  wife  or  daughter  of  Nathan, 
Cleophas,  or  Salome,  2,  19,  168. 

Mason,  a,  cured  by  Christ,  213. 

Mass,  etymology  of  word,  435. 

Matarea,  the  tree  and  fountain  of,  ios» 
106. 

Matha  and  Joca,  94. 

Mathan,  2. 

Matouadai,  angel,  52. 

Matthew,  call  and  origin  of,  201,  2i>2, 

tiatthias,   Teachings  of,  261. 

Matthias,  Traditions  of,  247. 

Maximus,  70,  98,  252. 

Medicine,  Christ  explains  in  temple,  164. 

Melchior,  one  of  the  Magi,  70. 

Memphis,    106. 

Mermeoth,  angel,  422. 

Messiah,  Christ  teaches  about,  163, 
164;  Jewish  ideas  about,  192. 

Metatron,  angel,   187,  421. 

Micah  testifies  in  Hades,  392. 

Michael,  in  temple  at  baptism  of  John, 
91;  envelopes  Joseph's  body,  182; 
gives  Seth  a  branch,  339  seq.;  leads 
the  saints  into  paradise,  393,  394; 
directs  Leucius  and  Charinus,  395; 
summons  Beliar,  418;  reveals  mys- 
teries to  Bartholomew,  419-422;  as- 
sists at  the  creation,  424.  Ref.  to, 
7,  170,  180,  181. 

Midwives.    See  Salome,  and  Zelomi. 

Millennium,  description  of  the  time  of 
the,  263. 


526 


GENERAL   INDEX 


Milton,  425. 

Minucius  Felix,  248. 

Tiljracles  of  Christ:  Speaks  from  the 
womb,  43 ;  stands  on  His  feet  at 
birth,  51;  cures  Zelomi,  56;  cures 
Salome,  57;  speaks  from  the  cradle, 
59;  His  swaddling-band  will  not 
burn,  76;  produces  miraculous  har- 
vest, 83,  93,  118;  dragons  worship 
Him,  83;  lions  and  other  beasts  adore 
Him,  84,  120;  miracle  of  palm  and 
fountain,  85,  86;  shortens  journey 
to  Egypt,  87;  tree  worships  Him,  87; 
idols  fall  before  Him,  88,  89;  cures 
demoniac  boy,  89;  makes  the  robbers 
flee,  94;  transforms  idols  to  sand- 
hills, 9s;  cures  demoniac  woman,  96; 
cures  dumb  bride,  96;  cures  woman 
tormented  by  Satan,  97;  cures  girl 
of  leprosy,  97;  cures  leprous  son  of 
prince,  98,  99;  cures  afflicted  bride- 
groom, 99;  disenchants  a  youth,  100- 
102;  delivers  the  queen  in  travail, 
102,  103;  discloses  hidden  treasure, 
103;  detects  thieves,  103,  104;"  ani- 
mates dried  fish,  104;  tree  opens  to 
receive  Him,  105;  produces  fountain 
of  Matarea,  105;  makes  a  salt  foun- 
tain sweet,  106;  miracle  of  the  balm, 
106;  makes  three  staves  produce  trees, 
107;  makes  birds,  107,  207;  angel 
feeds  Him,  107;  lengthens  piece  of 
wood,  112,  114;  lengthens  or  short- 
ens other  objects,  112;  lengthens  a 
throne,  113;  lengthens  a  beam,  114; 
turns  boys  to  kids,  114;  restores 
them,  115;  produces  many  colours 
with  one  dye,  116,  117;  carries  water 
in  His  cloak,  117;  carries  coals  in 
His  lap,  118;  makes  live  animals  of 
clay,  120;  enters  the  lion's  den,  120; 
divides  and  crosses  Jordan,  121 ;  cures 
viper's  bite,  124;  restores  severed 
foot,  125;  raises  dead  man  fallen 
from  roof,  125;  recovers  child  from 
well,  126;  raises  dead  boy  fallen  from 
roof,  126,  127;  heals  broken  arms 
and  legs,  127 ;  raises  boy  killed  in  play, 
127,  128;  raises  dead  infant,  128; 
cures  children  of  eye  disease,  129, 
130;  cures  Cleopas  of  fever,  130; 
protects  child  in  oven,  130;  protects 
Cleopas  in  well,  131;  raises  Bar- 
tholomew, 132;  cleanses  leprous  wo- 
man, 132,  133;  delivers  woman  from 
Satan,  134,  135;  drives  Satan  from 
Judas,    136,    137;    raises   Joseph    of 


Capernaum,  137,  138;  the  waters 
obey  Him,  140;  strikes  a  boy  dead, 
140;  raises  him,  141;  makes  live 
sparrows  from  clay,  141;  makes  boy 
dry  up  and  die,  142;  heals  him,  143; 
strikes  boy  dead,  143;  strikes  many 
blind,  144;  raises  dead  boy,  145; 
restores  broken  pots  and  tiles,  146, 
149;  cures  many  of  diseases,  159; 
strikes  schoolmaster  dead,  160;  raises 
him,  161;  explains  things  beyond  the 
reach  of  reason,  164;  signs  at  His 
baptism,  196,  197;  his  personal  ap- 
pearance changes,  200;  His  body 
changes  its  nature,  200;  He  leaves 
no  footprints,  20: ;  turns  water  to 
wine,  209;  animates  the  sphinx,  211; 
makes  it  raise  the  patriarchs,  213; 
cures  mason  with  withered  hand, 
213;  saves  Justus  from  poison,  214; 
speaks  various  tongues,  214;  heals 
Veronica,  215;  heals  many,  219,225, 
228;  imprints  His  image  on  towel, 
and  heals  Abgar,  222,  224;  multiplies 
loaves,  and  turns  stones  to  bread, 
226;  causes  table  to  descend  from 
heaven,  227,  228;  turns  Jews  to 
swine,  227,  241 ;  animates  cooked  fish, 
228;  Another  like  Christ  appears, 
229;  raises  Lazarus,  234,  235;  raises 
a  skull  to  life,  236,  239;  raises  Shem, 
240;  tells  the  people  what  they  eat 
in  their  houses,  241 ;  heals  and  raises 
many,  241 ;  causes  a  roasted  cock  to 
follow  Judas,  307;  the  standards 
adore  Him,  318,  319;  roasted  cock 
predicts  His  resurrection,  343;  His 
blood  heals  Longinus,  362;  delivers 
Joseph  from  prison,  404. 

Mithras,  religion  of,   435. 

Monastic  rules  attributed  to  Mary,  21, 
22. 

Moon,  legend  as  to,  417. 

Mormon  legend,  the,  333. 

Moses  of  Chorene,  220,  221. 

Moses  saved  in  the  oven,   131. 

Mountain  receives  Elisabeth  and  John, 

79- 
Mule,  the  youth  changed  to  a,  restored, 

100,    lOI. 
Muratorian  Fragment,  254. 
Myrrh,  brought  by  the  Magi,  71,  74. 

N. 
Naasenes,  256. 
Nahor,  2. 
Nails  of  the  cross,  350,  459. 


GENERAL   INDEX 


527 


Names,  mystical,  of  Christ,  270,  271, 
273.  274.  275-277. 

Naoutha,  angel,  421. 

Nathan,  baptizes  Tiberius,  484;  his  pre- 
vious   history,    486    seq. ;      baptizes 

Nathanael,  201. 
Titus,  489. 

Nativity.     See  Birth  of  Christ. 

Navel-string  of  Christ,  60. 

Nazarenes,   33. 

Nasarenes,  Gospel  of,  197,  213,  402. 

Nicephorus,  14,  22,  23,  27,  59,  61,  65, 
107,  205,  319,  370,  372,  380,  478, 
493- 

Nicolas  Lyranus,    166,   274. 

Nicodemus,  does  not  consent  to  the 
Jews,  300,  314;  protests  against  their 
accusations,  303;  his  origin,  325; 
speaks  in  Christ's  favour  before  Pi- 
late, 325,  326;  helps  take  the  body 
from  the  cross,  366,  367 ;  sought  by 
the  Jews,  396;  reproached  by  them, 
397;  speaks  to  the  Sanhedrin  of  the 
ascension,  443  seq. ;  aids  in  hiding 
the  cross,  458,  459. 

Noah,  29. 

Novation,  208. 


Oecumenius,  344. 

Oil  of  mercy,  legend  of,  339  seq.,  380 

seq. 
Old  age  of  Joseph,  168. 
Olives,   Mount   of,   Christ   teaches  on, 

266  seq.,  312;  ascension  takes  place 

from,  438,  439. 
Omar  Khayyam,   125,  240. 
Ophites,  434. 
Optatus,  262. 
Orarium,  427. 
Orientation,  22,  172. 
Origen,  42,  51,  80,  89,   171,  205,  214, 

243,    244,    246,    247,    248,    249,   251, 

252,    254,    257,   258,    262,   263,    265, 

321,  329,  402. 
Orosins,    52,   60. 

Oven,  Cleophas  saved  from,  131. 
Ox  and  ass  adore  Christ,  59. 

P. 

Palindrome,  a  curious  Latin,  70,  350. 

Palladius,  89. 

Palm    Sunday   procession,   account   of, 

317- 
Palm  tree,  bows  at  Christ's  command, 

85;  its  branch  taken  to  paradise,  86; 

bows  and  feeds  John,  no. 


Pandera,  Joseph,  321. 

Paneas,  215,  217. 

Paradise,  the  dwellers  in  described, 
429,  430. 

Passover,  Christ  attends  with  His  par- 
ents, 162-166;  eats  with  His  dis- 
ciples,  308. 

Patriarchs,  Testaments  of  the  Twelve, 
183,   192. 

Patriarchs,  the  twelve,  come  from  the 
tomb  and  convict  the  Jews,  213. 

Paul,  Acts  of,  248. 

Paul  and  Thecla,  Acts  of,  260. 

Paulitius,  219,  441. 

Penitent  thief.    See  Dismas. 

Pentalpha,  or  Solomon's  seal,  156. 

Peoples,  the  two,  seen  by  Mary,  50. 

Perpetua,  Peter's  wife,    199. 

Persia,  the  temple  in,  65;  legend  of 
Christ's  residence  in,   166. 

Persis,  tree,  worships  Christ,  87. 

Personal  appearance  of  Christ,  as  in- 
fant, 74;  changeable,  200,  201;  two- 
fold tradition  as  to,  205 ;  described 
by  Lentulus,  etc.,  205,  206. 

Personal   appearance   of  Mary,   23,   74. 

Petalon,    11,   420. 

Peter,  origin,  personal  appearance  of, 
and  call,  198,  199;  baptism  of,  204; 
Christ  speaks  to,  concerning  the 
lambs,  etc.,  251;  goes  to  the  sea, 
397;   Christ  appears  to,  402. 

Peter  of  Alexandria,  80. 

Petronilla,   Peter's  daughter,    199. 

Petronius  watches  the  sepulchre,  372. 

Petrus  de  Natalihus,  53,  54,  59,  60,  y6, 
78,  90. 

Pharaoh,   Christ  sees,   106. 

Pheson,  river  of  paradise,  425, 

Philastrius,  265. 

Philip,  Acts  of,  250. 

Philip,   apostle,  his  origin,  202. 

Philip,  Gospel  of,  259. 

Philip,  king,  taken  to  Rome,  498; 
death  of,   504. 

Philip,   son   of  Alphaeus,    19. 

Philo,   191. 

Phinees,  Haggai,  and  Adas,  tell  Jews 
of  Christ's  ascension,  440,  441 ;  swear 
not  to  reveal  this,  442;  are  sought 
and  found  in  Galilee,  448;  testify 
before  the  Sanhedrin,  449  seq.;  read 
the  writings  of  Leucius  and  Char- 
inus,  457. 

Phocas,  34. 

Phoenician  A,  form  of,  156. 

Photius,  378. 


528 


GENERAL   INDEX 


Pilate,  Pontius,  legend  about,  136;  his 
early  history,  299;  wishes  to  make 
Christ  king,  and  quarrels  with  Herod, 
299,  300;  Christ  accused  before,  301, 
315;  summons  Him,  316;  warned  by 
Procla,  319;  washes  his  hands,  332; 
sentences  Christ,  333;  has  Him 
scourged,  337;  summons  Jews  after 
the  crucifixion,  361;  grants  body  to 
Joseph,  365;  sets  guard  at  sepulchre, 
372;  places  acts  of  Christ  in  his  rec- 
ords, 462;  questions  the  Jews,  463 
seq. ;  writes  to  Caesar,  466-472;  re- 
ceives Volusianus,  47s;  writes  letter 
to  Herod,  490  seq. ;  is  taken  to  Rome, 
498;  is  protected  by  Christ's  tunic, 
499;  is  sentenced  and  put  to  death, 
Soi;  or  killed  by  Caesar,  502,  503; 
or  commits  suicide,  503;  legends 
about  his  body,  503,  504. 

Pindar,  430. 

Plate  on  priest's  forehead,   11. 

Plutarch,  69. 

Poison,Justussavedfrom,by  Christ,  214. 

Polia,  Philip's  wife,  215,  317. 

Polycarp,  253,  254. 

Porphyry,  174. 

Portrait,  of  Christ  and  Mary  painted 
by  Luke,  206;  of  Christ  sent  to  Ab- 
gar,  222;  of  Christ  given  to  Veron- 
ica, 346,  477;  imprinted  on  winding 
sheet  of  Christ,   369. 

Pots  and  tiles,  Christ  breaks  and  re- 
stores,  145-149. 

Prayer  of  Christ   (Mohammedan),  279. 

Presentation  B.  V.  M.,  feast  of,  17. 

Presentation  of  Christ  in  temple,  60. 

Priest,  Christ  made  a,   191-194. 

Priesthood,  age  required  for,   191. 

Priscillianists,  310. 

Prochorus,   250. 

Procla,  Pilate's  wife,  warns  him  con- 
cerning her  dream,  319;  goes  to  meet 
Christ,  etc.,  490  seq.;  at  Pilate's 
death,  501. 

Procopius,  8g,  220,  224. 

Prupippius,  priest  of  Juno,  announces 
conception  of  Christ,  66. 

Psalms  of  degrees,   17. 

Pseudo-Athanasius,  378. 

Pseudo-Clement,  262,  408. 

Pseudo-Cyprian,  169,  196,  250,  252, 
2SS,  256,  257. 

Pseudo-Dexter,   319. 

Pseudo-Dorotheus,   493. 

Pseudo-Ignatius,  246,  252,  253,  254, 
309,  402. 


Pseudo-Lentulus,  205. 
Pseudo-Linus,  260. 
Punishments  in  hell,  238,  430  seq. 
Purgatorial  fire,  the,   185. 

Q. 

Quadratus,  241. 

Queen  of  virgins,  Mary  called,  32. 

Quirinius.     See   Cyrenius. 

R. 

Rabbins,  the,  and  Rabbinical  refer- 
ences, 28,  29,  89,  172,  181,  186,  187, 
263,  264,  268,  274,  288,  417,  419, 
424,   440,   491,   503. 

Rachel  weeping  for  her  children,  le- 
gend of,  78. 

Raguel,  29. 

Rahab,  angel,  491. 

Rahab,  Pilate's  runner,  316. 

Rahab,  runner  of  Tiberius,  479;  slaugh- 
ters the  Jews,  497;  brings  the  chief 
ones  bound  to  Rome,   498. 

Ram,  the  wonderful,  sacrificed  by 
Abraham,  274. 

Raphael,  angel,  at  baptism  of  John,  91; 
ref.  to,  7. 

Rebecca,  Mary's  virgin,  33. 

Register  of  priests  kept  in  temple,  190. 

Resurrection,  Thomas  doubts  concern- 
ing the,  230-236;   of  Christ,  399-403. 

Reuben,  father  of  Judas,  136. 

Rich  man  questions  Christ,  257. 

Riches,  Christ  teaches  about,  279. 

Rivers  of  paradise,  the,  425  seq. 

Robbers  flee  at  Christ's  approach.  See 
also  Dismas,  and  Gestas. 

Robe,  of  Mary,  enlarged  as  she  grew, 
21;  of  John,  did  likewise,  m;  of 
Christ,  seamless,  legends  about,  349; 
protects  Pilate,  498,  499. 

Rod  of  Joseph,  its  wonderful  history, 
29. 

Roof,  Christ  raises  dead  man  fallen 
from,  125;  raises  dead  boy  fallen 
from,   126. 

Rosetti,  D.  C,  33 

Rubim,  or  Reuben,  3. 

Rufus,  198,  199,  345 ;  raised  by  Christ'3 
tomb,  460,  461. 

Rufus  and  Rubellio,  consulship  of,  195. 


Sabbath,  Christ's  teachings  about,  243. 
Sacrifices,   right   to   offer   is   given   by 

God,  9;  Christ  receives  in  paradise, 

412. 


GENERAL   INDEX 


529 


Sadoch,  I. 

Saints,  Christ  delivers  from  Hades, 
etc.,  391   seq. 

Salome,  midwife,  meets  Joseph,  55;  ex- 
amines Mary,  etc.,  57;  tells  these 
wonders,  62;  various  references  to 
name,  19,  27,  82,  199,  208,  345. 

Salpsa,  son  of  Satan,  425. 

Salvianus  de  Gubernio,  244. 

Samaria,  218. 

Sammael,    169. 

Samson,  8. 

Samuel,  8. 

Samuel,  high  priest,  32. 

Saphodamuel,  angel,  82. 

Sarah,  8. 

Sarah,  daughter  of  Caiaphas,  robbed 
by  Disnias,  301;  accuses  Christ,  303; 
the  Jews  seek  to  burn,  305. 

Satan,  speaks  from  an  idol  in  Egypt, 
88;  torments  woman  in  form  of  ser- 
pent, 97;  in  form  of  a  dragon,  134, 
135;  driven  out  of  Judas,  137;  tempts 
Christ,  197;  wishes  the  cross  to  be 
erected,  342;  quarrels  with  Hades, 
381-384;  bound  by  Christ,  389; 
plunged  into  the  abyss,  389,  390;  ac- 
count of  fall  of,  420,  424,  425.  See 
also  Antichrist,  Beliar,  and   Devil. 

Scbila,  270. 

Schnudi,  252. 

Scholars  and  learning,  Christ  teaches 
concerning,   281. 

Schoolmaster,  the,  and  the  sparrows, 
in  Egypt,  105 ;  a,  tries  to  teach  Christ 
Greek  letters,  159;  flogs  Christ  and 
is  struck  dead,  160;  is  raised  up, 
161;  teaches  Christ  and  praises  Him, 
160,  161.  See  also  Zaccheus,  and 
Levi. 

Sciences,  Christ  teaches  the,   163-165. 

Scourging  of  Christ,  2i7- 

Sebaste,  216,  217,  218. 

Sedrach,  Apocalypse  of,  181. 

Sentence  of  Christ  in   full,  333   seq. 

Sephora,  33. 

Septuagint,  legend  as  to  origin  of,  457. 

Sepulchre  of  Christ,  soldiers  guard, 
372;  multitudes  come  to  see,  396; 
cures  wrought  by,  459  seq. 

Serapis,  206. 

Sergius,  247. 

Serpent's  bite  cured  by  Christ,  123. 

Seth,  book  of,  64;  brings  branch  from 
paradise,  86;  seeks  oil  of  mercy,  339- 
342,   3S0. 

Seven  sleepers  of  Ephesus,  the,  270. 


Seventy  disciples  of  Christ,  list  of  the, 
203-205. 

Severus,  195,  196. 

Shakespeare,  53,  136,  365. 

Sheba,  the  queen  of,  70,  341. 

Shem,  29;  raised  from  the  dead  by 
Christ,  240. 

Shepherds  at  Christ's  birth,  the,  58. 

Sibyl  predicts  Christ's  glory,  58,  468. 

Sibylline  Oracles,   196,  418,  468. 

Simeon,  adores  Christ  in  temple,  61; 
made  high  priest,  81 ;  testifies  in 
Hades,  378. 

Simeon  Metaphrastes,  206. 

Simon  Cassian,  166. 

Simon  of  Cyrene,   345. 

Simon,  son  of  Joseph,  49,   167,   168. 

Simon  the  Canaanite  cured  of  ser- 
pent's bite  by  Christ,  124. 

Simon  Zelotes,  call  and  origin  of,  201. 

Sinners,  punishments  of,  in  hell,  238, 
430   seq. 

Sins,  the  greatest,  428. 

Sobe,  2. 

Socrates,   51. 

Solomon,  70;  the  wisest  of  men,  265. 

Solomon  of  Bassora,  i,  2,  69,  349,  362, 
370,  372. 

Sophronius,   380. 

Sotinen,   87. 

Soul,  difficulty  in  getting  it  forth  from 
body,  181;  Joseph's  enveloped  in 
napkin,  182;  does  not  keep  the  same 
form  always,  258;  what  it  must  say 
when  it  ascends  to  heaven,  259. 

Souls  entering  into  paradise,  412. 

South,  Death  comes  from  the,  179,  18 r. 

Sozomen,  51,  81,  85,  87,  89,    112,  218. 

Sparrows,  Christ  feeds  in  Egypt,  105; 
makes  of  clay,   120,  141. 

Sphinx,  Christ  animates  a,  and  causes 
it  to  convict  the  Jews,  211  seq. 

Standards  adore  Christ,  317,  319. 

Star,  appears  at  Christ's  birth,  54; 
shepherds  wonder  at,  58 ;  appears  to 
Magi,  65,  73;  descends  on  pillar  of 
the  Fountain,  67;  falls  into  well  of 
Bethlehem,  73;  points  Christ  out, 
74;  conducts  the  Magi  home,  76. 

Statue  erected  to  Christ  by  Veronica, 
217,    2l8. 

Statues  in  Persia,  are  moved  at  Christ's 
birth,  66;  bow  down  before  the 
image  of  the   Fountain,   68. 

Staves  planted  by  Christ  grow,  107. 

Steps,  the  fifteen,  of  the  temple,  17. 

Stolano,  2. 


530 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Suetonius,  3t6. 

Suicide  of  Judas,  343. 

Sukum,   the  infernal  tree,  238. 

Sulpiciiis,   219. 

Sun,  legend  concerning  the,  417. 

Suns,  three  appear  as  sign  of  Christ's 
birth,    59. 

Supper,  Christ  eats  the  last,  308. 

Suriel,  angel,  7. 

Susanna,  33. 

Swathing  cloth  of  Christ,  given  by 
Mary  to  the  Magi,  71;  is  not  con- 
sumed by  fire,  76 ;  drives  out  Satan, 
135- 

Sivinburne,  69. 

Swine,  Jews  turned  to  by  Christ,  227, 
241 ;  Christ  speaks  kindly  to,  283. 

Symmachus,  249. 

Synccllus,  381. 

Syncletica,  Life  of  St.,  254 

T. 

Tabitha,  270. 

Table,  Christ  at,  168;  a,  descends  from 

heaven  at  His  command,  227,  228. 
Tables  of  heaven,  the,  183. 
Talmud,  42,  45,   190. 
Tarshish,   Herod  burns   ships   of,   77. 
Tatian,  257. 

Te  Deum.   The,   310,   502. 
Temple  of  the   Gentiles,   Christ  enters 

and  does  wonders  in,  210  seq. 
Temple,   the,   Christ  visits  and  teaches 

in,    162-165;    His  words   concerning, 

263,   264. 
Temptation  of  Christ,  the,   197. 
Terah,    70. 
Tertullian,   48,   65,    98,    184,   205,   245, 

251,    254,    255,    258,    268,    333,    339, 

377,   409,   481,   482,   502. 
Testament   of   Christ,   the,   353-3S7' 
Thaddaeus,    his    call    and    origin,    201; 

sent  to  Edessa,  224. 
Theodore  Balsamo,  249. 
Theodoret,  65,  248. 
Theodorus,  his  letter  to  Pilate,  472. 
Theodorus  Monachus,  249. 
Theodotus,  248,  249,  262,  265. 
Theophanes  Ceram.,  443. 
Theophilus,  254,  381. 
Theophylactus,  27,  80,   195,  344. 
Thibet,   story  of  Christ's  residence  in, 

167. 
Thieves   detected  by   Christ,    104. 
Thomas,      apostle,      his     origin,      203; 

doubts  concerning  the  resurrection. 


230;  is  reassured  by  Christ,  231-236; 
at   Christ's   resurrection,    402. 

Thomas  Aquinas,  59,    106,  206. 

Thomas,  Naasene  Gospel  of,  256. 

Thousand  years,  banquet  of  the,   184 

Throne  lengthened  by  Christ,    113. 

Thunderbolt  destroys  unbelievers,  103. 

Tiber,  Pilate's  body  sunk  in  the,  503. 

Tiberius,  his  illness,  474;  sends  Volu- 
sianus  to  seek  his  cure,  475;  sends 
soldiers  to  arrest  Pilate,  479;  his  let- 
ter to  Pilate,  479;  letter  to  Abgar, 
480;  proposes  to  admit  Christ  among 
the  gods,  481;  adores  Christ's  por- 
trait and  is  healed,  484;  is  baptized 
and  becomes  a  Christian,  484,  485; 
tries  Pilate,  498  seq. ;  orders  the 
Jews  to  be  destroyed,  500;  sentences 
Pilate  to  death,  501;  or  kills  him, 
502. 

Tigris,  river  of  paradise,  426. 

Tile-maker,  the  incident  of  the,  146- 
149. 

Title,  the,  placed  over  the  cross,  336. 

Titus,  his  sore  cured  by  faith  in  Christ, 
488;  takes  vengeance  on  the  Jews, 
489;  captures  Jerusalem,  505;  pun- 
ishes the  Jews,   506. 

Titus  and  Dumachus,  94. 

Tostatus,  S3,  69,   106,   166. 

Transfiguration  of  Christ,  293,  294. 

Travellers,  story  of  the  three,  278. 

Treasure,  the  hidden,  found  by  Christ's 
direction,    103. 

Tree,  opens  to  receive  Christ,  105;  of 
life,  the,  340.  See  Palm  tree,  Per- 
sis. 

Trinity,   Christ  speaks  about  the,  434. 

Tunic,   the   holy.     See  Robe. 

Twin  son  raised  by  Christ,   132. 

Two  Ways,  The,  245,  248,  254. 

U. 

Unbelievers,  destroyed  by  a  thunder- 
bolt, 103;  Christ  teaches  concerning, 
255- 

Unfruitfulness  a  sign  of  God's  anger,  3. 

Universe  stands  still  at  Christ's  birth, 

52- 

Unnatural  crimes,  those  guilty  of,  per- 
ish at  Christ's  birth,   53. 

Uriel,  archangel,  makes  mountain  open 
for  Elisabeth,  79;  brings  John  into 
the  temple,  91;  accompanies  Elisa- 
beth to  the  desert,  92 ;  cares  for  John, 
III. 


GENERAL  INDEX 


531 


V. 

Valentinians,  214,  434. 
Valentinus,  311. 

Veil  of  the  temple,  virgins  appointed 
to  make,  32 ;  rent  at  Christ's  passion, 

358,  359,  411- 

Veronica,  origin  of  the  name,  214;  her 
cure,  21s;  asks  permission  and  erects 
statue  of  Christ,  217;  testifies  before 
Pilate,  327  ;  receives  portrait  of  Christ 
on  the  Via  Dolorosa,  346;  receives 
another  portrait,  477;  follows  Volu- 
sianus  to  Rome,  478. 

Vespasian  assists  Titus  in  slaughtering 
the  Jews,  489,  504  seq. 

Victorialis,  the  mountain,  65. 

Victorinus,  269. 

Vienna,  legends  of  Pilate  at,  503. 

Viguerius,  30. 

Vincent  of  Lerins,  261. 

Vincentius,  52,  338. 

Viper's  bite  cured  by  Christ,  124. 

Virginity,  vowed  by  Mary,  23;  her, 
hidden  from  Satan,  34. 

Virgins  in  temple   see   veil  rent,   358, 

359- 
Volusianus,  goes  to  seek  Christ  at  Cae- 
sar's command,  474,  475;  meets  Jo- 
seph and  Nicodemus,  476;  meets 
Veronica,  477;  receives  the  portrait 
of  Christ,  478;  returns  to  Tiberius, 
483. 

W. 

Wandering   Jew,   legend   of  the,    346, 

347- 

Water,  of  jealousy,  the,  45,  46;  in 
which  Christ  had  been  washed  per- 
forms cures,  89,  97,  99,  106,  129, 
130,  132-135;  of  baptism,  the,  98, 
197;  Christ  carries  in  His  cloak,  117; 
turned  to  wine  by  Christ,  209. 

Water-pools  made  by  Christ  destroyed 
by  boy,  140,  142. 

Way  of  the  cross,  the,  338. 

Wedding  at  Cana,  the,  208-210. 

Well,  Christ  saves  child  fallen  into, 
126,  131. 

Widow,  Christ  dwells  in  house  of  a, 
in  Egypt,   104. 

Wife,  of  prince,  leprous,  cured  by 
Christ,  99;  of  king,  in  travail,  deliv- 
ered by  Christ,  103,  103. 


Wine,    Christ    turns    water    into,    209, 

327- 

Wise  men  from  the   East.     See  Magi. 

Witnesses  of  the  ascension,  the  three. 
See  Phinees,  Haggai,  and  Adas. 

Woman  with  issue  of  blood.  See  Ve- 
ronica. 

Wood  of  the  cross,  339.  34i.  342. 

Wood,  pieces  of  lengthened  by  Christ, 
1 1 2- 1 1 4. 

Words  of  Christ.     See  Agrapha. 

World,  compared  to  an  old  woman  by 
Christ,  278;  Jewish  legend  as  to  the 
duration  of  the,  376. 

Writings  by  Christ,  274. 


Xaverius,  23,  94,  106,  221,  223,  466. 


Youth,  the  enchanted,  cured  by  Christ, 


Zaccheus,    Christ   calls   him   the   sheep 

that  was  lost,  247. 
Zaccheus    the    schoolmaster    wishes    to 

teach  Christ  and  is  shamed  by  Him, 

150-154- 

Zacharias,  his  vision,  13;  tells  Anna, 
14;  blesses  Mary,  15;  Mary  allotted 
to  him  in  the  temple,  20;  questions 
Mary,  21;  inquires  of  God  concern- 
ing her,  28;  birth  of  John  promised 
him,  33;  names  John,  39;  fears  the 
Jews  will  suspect  Mary,  44;  threat- 
ened and  murdered  by  Herod,  80; 
his  blood  turned  to  stone,  81;  had 
supplied  provisions  for  the  flight  to 
Egypt,  82;  baptized  by  Christ,  91; 
buried  in  temple,  92. 

Zebedee,  19,  199. 

Zelomi,  midwife,  meets  Joseph,  54;  ex- 
amines Mary,  55;  cured  of  paralysis, 
56. 

Zeno,  Christ  raises  the  dead,   127. 

Zipporah,   30. 

Zjustin  and  Visimus,  94. 

Zoathan  and  Chammatha,  94. 

Zoroaster  predicted  Christ's  coming, 
63. 

Zosimus,  85. 


liiiiiiiiiSiiiiSiilii'iin 

1    1012  01249   7840 


Date  Due 


•■'\^.i 


